


Short Circuit

by thequeenofgeeks



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Adventure, Engineers, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Kidnapping, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Romance, S.H.I.E.L.D., Slow Burn, Technology, Torture, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, phd, smart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-05-24 17:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14959031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequeenofgeeks/pseuds/thequeenofgeeks
Summary: Elle Berkley expected to work on the turbines of S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarriers and get her PhD. She did NOT expect to be abducted by HYDRA and forced to work on the Winter Soldier. If life expected her to make lemonade with all the lemons it had given her, it was going to be incredibly bitter. (Bucky Barnes/OC)





	1. Chapter 1

Elle Berkley was late.

It wasn't an unusual occurrence, but this particular occasion required the most precise use of her time possible, and D.C. traffic was not that use. She checked her watch again, blowing a huff of air out when it informed her that she only had fifteen minutes to get to a place that was a twenty-minute walk away. Her leg bounced as she channeled her impatience. Finally deciding that the rickety cab she was in was going absolutely nowhere, she shoved a wrinkled twenty in the driver's hand before stepping out into the street. Pulling her phone from the bag on her shoulder, Elle looked for the quickest way to her destination while simultaneously pulling her high heels from her feet.

Her pace quickened as she chose the route, the robotic voice telling her to turn left in 500 feet. She checked the street quickly before lightly jogging over the crosswalk, her hand gripping the bag she was carrying so nothing would fall. Taking another turn, she checked her watch again.

11 minutes.

She tried to walk quicker without breaking into a run, hoping that no one would deem her suspicious enough to report. She confirmed that the road she was walking down was, in fact, Rogers Street, before rapidly pressing the button to cross.

"Come on, come on, come on," she muttered, not stopping her assault on the button until the sign in front of her read "WALK". She raised her wrist to eye level.

6 minutes.

Elle could see the building she was heading to. How could she not? It rose above almost everything else in the D.C. skyline, the glass windows gleaming. She swallowed thickly, hoping her fear would follow.

3 minutes.

She hadn't waited for the okay to walk that time, running right through traffic when she saw a break. She waved apologetically at the car that honked at her, her speed increasing as she headed for the glass door.

2 minutes.

The line outside the elevator had been far too long, and she opted for the stairs, hoping her decision wouldn't cost her more time than necessary. She had just passed a door marked Floor 12 when the burning in her legs made her stop. She leaned against the wall for the slightest moment, before resuming her flight to Floor 14.

30 seconds.

She threw the door open and made a beeline to the receptionist's desk. She smiled politely as the woman hung up the phone.

"Hi, I'm here for the interview? My name is- "

"Elle Berkley!" She winced at the stern tone that resounded from a young-looking man standing in the entry of the hall to her left. The receptionist shot her a sympathetic smile and Elle took a deep breath, straightening the blouse she had on and trying to adjust her blonde curls before turning to the man.

"That's me," she replied, hand nervously tugging at a loose thread on her pants.

"Follow me," he said simply, turning and walking down the hall, not waiting for her to respond.

She slipped her shoes back on before walking quickly after him, trying to keep up with the stride of the taller man. He tapped away at a tablet in his hands as he navigated the maze of doors, finally coming to a stop at one. The man knocked lightly on the door, pushing it open at the muffled "come in" that drifted through. He said a few short words to the person sitting inside before opening the door completely, letting Elle into the office.

A gray-haired man sat behind a desk, writing something on a paper in front of him. Hundreds of books, academic and fictional, were shoved into the shelves along the walls. The wall behind the man was covered in certificates and degrees, each of a varying subject and level of prestige. There were a few frames on the man's cluttered desk, all facing towards him. Pictures of his family, she assumed. Children's drawings littered the walls, each signed by a Princess Carly. She smiled slightly at that, examining one that looked like a butterfly, though Elle supposed it could be something else if one turned one's head at a certain angle.

The man at the desk finally looked up, shaking out his hand as he smiled at her. He stood, raising his hand for her to shake.

"Ah, you must be Miss Berkley. I've heard so much about you." He gestured for her to sit. "I hope you don't mind that I asked you to meet me in my office rather than have a formal interview room. I've always hated formalities." He smiled again, his brown eyes crinkling at the edges. She couldn't help but smile back.

"I absolutely do not mind, I prefer a more casual setting myself." She shifted, waiting for him to begin asking a barrage of questions. Instead, he stood, leaning against the window as he examined the view. She waited a few more moments before taking initiative.

"Uhm, so I have a preliminary proposal in my bag, as well as some tentative bluepr- "

"Did you know that I was in the military?" His question effectively cut her off and caught her by surprise.

"N-No, I didn't, sir," She responded, confusion evident in her tone.

"Army." He turned to face her. "I was part of the Air Calvary in Vietnam. You ever hear of that?"

She furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment before the familiar name clicked.

"That was the test run for air mobility. They sent helicopters full of troops to the battle and used them for evac too." Her eyes widened a bit, awe filling them. "You were part of that?"

He chuckled at her reaction before nodding. "I was a Warrant Officer, served as a Huey pilot." He shook his head. "But that was a long time ago. Walk with me," He said, moving towards the door. Elle gathered her things before following after the man.

"The reason I'm telling you about my military history is because I owe my ability to judge character to those experiences. I saw a lot of men come in and out of my command, and I had to learn to predict their behavior, and, not to brag on myself, I got pretty damn good at it." He paused, swiping an ID card and punching in a code before continuing through a metal door, waving for Elle to follow. "All in all, Miss Berkley, by the end of this interview I'm going to know how valuable of an asset you would be to us. But, I want to give you a chance to convince me. And I'm not talking about blueprints and proposals. I've seen it all before, and, not to be rude, they come a dime a dozen. So, I want you to convince me why I should take you on."

He pressed the down button outside of an elevator and turned to her. "I'm not even talking about your intelligence, Miss Berkley. I'm talking about you. Your character, your flaws, your habits, your weaknesses, your dreams, everything. I know I'm asking a lot, for you to reveal yourself to me after 15 minutes of us knowing each other, but I'm much more interested in the person than the machine, wouldn't you agree?" He stepped inside the door, holding it open as Elle hesitated.

"So, Miss Berkley, are you in or out?" She chewed on her bottom lip before stepping through the doors.

"In."

He smiled at her, pressing a button before the elevator whirred to life.

"Let's begin then."

* * *

 

Elle wasn't quite sure if it was the fact that he was a total stranger or the fact that she desperately wanted what he was offering, but she had given the man in front of her the entire motivation she had for coming to him today. She was fairly certain her absent father had even been mentioned, something she barely spoke to her mother about, much less the aging man in front of her.

When she had finished speaking, the man facing her nodded, looking like he was in thought. She shifted her weight, hoping she didn't seem as impatient as she felt. The elevator dinged as it came to a stop and opened, signifying that they had arrived at their floor.

He waited a moment before stepping off, and Elle followed him, unsure of what was happening. He finally turned to her, his eyes twinkling slightly.

"I think you're going to be very happy with what I'm about to tell you."

Her stomach fluttered as she waited for him to continue.

"Welcome to the George Washington PhD program. When can you enroll?"

She grinned, excitement spilling onto her face.

"As soon as you'll let me, sir."

"Oh, please, now that we'll be working together, allow me to tell you my name." He smiled and shook her hand again. "Dr. Josiah Herman." She smiled back before he turned and called over his shoulder.

"Any chance you can be here by Monday?"

* * *

 

"Lottie! You here?" Elle called into the small apartment, using her foot to kick the door open slightly as she held a bag of groceries.

"Yeah! In the back," her roommate's muffled voice carried through the hall. "There's a letter for you on the counter."

Elle set down the groceries, pulling a bunch of bananas out and placing them in a bowl. She had just placed a jug of orange juice in the fridge when she heard the clicking of Lottie's heels. Straightening and turning to face her, Elle let out a playful whistle at her mocha-skinned roommate's appearance.

"And where are you goin', Miss Fancy Pants?"

Lottie chuckled in response, clipping an earring on.

"I'm going to dinner with some friends from the Psych department." She gasped excitedly, hands hitting the counter repeatedly. "OH MY GOSH I TOTALLY FORGOT TO ASK HOW DID TODAY GO?"

Elle laughed at her friend's antics before putting a box of macaroni in the pantry. "I think it went really well. I fumbled some of the questions, but I don't think he really minded…. Because I'm in!"

The two girls let out an excited shriek and Lottie pulled Elle in for a hug.

"Oh, I knew you would! You're gonna be great there!" She pulled back, making a mock pouting face. "You're gonna get your PhD before I even get my Bachelor's! And I'm older!"

Elle grinned, squeezing her friend's arms. "Oh, hush! You know you're plenty smart enough to finish school early! And besides, you can take me out for drinks when I graduate." She winked at Lottie.

Lottie laughed incredulously. "If you're even old enough then! Knowing you, you'll finish the whole program before you turn 21!" She grabbed the purse that she had placed on the counter. "Hey, you want to come with us? We could turn it into a celebratory dinner. I know Ethan wouldn't mind," she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Elle faked a gag, shaking her head. "Thanks, but I'll pass. It's just gonna be me, Netflix, and some Ben and Jerry's tonight. Have fun though, and don't forget to call when you leave or if you need a ride!"

Lottie rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom. I promise to be back by curfew." She laughed as Elle shoved her playfully. "Okay, I'll see you later. And don't forget about your letter!" She said as the door shut behind her.

Elle eye's shifted to the thick, official-looking envelope on the counter. There were no discerning marks on it, save her name. She twirled it in her hands for a few minutes before opening it and reading the letter inside. It was a recruitment letter of sorts; she had seen enough over her 19 years of life to know. The letter ended with a cramped signature, followed by the printed words: Nicholas J. Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

She remained skeptical, carrying the letter to her room and placing it on the desk. She grabbed her laptop, typing in a few words before skimming through the articles that had popped up under "S.H.I.E.L.D." She read one that explained the history of the organization, tracing its roots back to the WWII era. She glanced between the screen and the paper on her desk a few times before shaking her head and closing the laptop.

She shoved the letter in the left-hand drawer, intent on letting it stay there. If this S.H.I.E.L.D. organization wanted her to be a part of it, they could contact her again. Her phone vibrated, and Elle glanced at the picture before answering it.

"Hey, Mom. No, I'm good, what about you? Oh, hey, guess what..." She walked into the living room, the letter already forgotten.

* * *

 

Elle knocked on the wooden door in front of her, opening it when she heard a confirmation to enter. She smiled at the older man.

"Hey, Dr. Herman. I was gonna check out a few minutes early if that's okay with you. I've got a big test in Dr. Cooper's class on Monday, and I'm writin' the rest of the weekend off as a study session." Dr. Herman smiled at her before waving her on her way.

"Go for it, kid. You've put in some good work these last few weeks. If I'm not careful, you'll end up taking my place," he chuckled, his eyes twinkling as Elle grinned back.

"No worries there, sir. See you Monday." She waved before exiting the room and pulling her phone to text Lottie.

Elle: Thinking of Chinese for dinner. You want the usual?

Lottie: Sounds gr8 roomie! Be there 7

Elle wasn't entirely sure how she was balancing everything in her hands and still unlocking the door, but there she was. She held the bag of takeout in her teeth while juggling her backpack and keys in her hands, finally getting the silver key into the lock.

She used her elbow to push the handle down and leaned against the door slightly, opening it by pushing her back to the door. She attempted to pull her keys from the lock, turning as she succeeded. The takeout plummeted to the ground, followed by her backpack. It was only at the crashing sound that Tony Stark looked up at her.

He smiled around a bite of Easy Mac (her Easy Mac, Elle realized) and waved at her, his demeanor that of an old friend that dropped by for a visit. She didn't move, even when the door behind her creaked closed, slamming slightly. He finished the bite in his mouth, swallowing before he spoke.

"So, apparently, you ignored the letter that they sent, so they figured it would be better coming from me. Something to do with our shared experience in mechanical engineering, I think. Anyways, here I am, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., asking you to consider their recruitment letter as serious." He wiped his mouth, leaning back slightly as he gauged her reaction.

It was only after his explanation that Elle moved from her previous position, jaw closing and arms falling limply to her sides. After realizing he wouldn't get a response, Tony stood and entered the kitchen, opening and closing a few cabinets.

"Is there a place I can get a glass around here?" he asked, peering at a shelf in front of him.

"Third cabinet on the left, next to the microwave," she responded, still dazed. She slumped into a stool at the bar, her fingers threading themselves through her unruly curls. The sound of running water interrupted her thoughts, and she shifted to face the billionaire in her kitchen.

"I'm sorry, what is it that S.H.I.E.L.D. wants from me, exactly?" she questioned, still confused by Tony's appearance at her living place.

He took a few gulps from the glass in hand before answering.

"They want to offer you a position in their engineering department. They would work with your schedule, let you finish your schooling, and then want you to become a member for an extended period of time. Think of it as an internship, but much more awesome." He waited for another question, but when he received none, he moved to pull his suit jacket back on. "I know it can be a little overwhelming, but it's a great opportunity. I would think about it, if I were you." He took a step towards the door.

"Wait." He paused mid-step, a slight smile twitching at his lips. She swallowed her nervousness before continuing. "Why me?"

Tony chuckled, putting on his sunglasses. "I would imagine it has something to do with you getting a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at 19. You've got something special, kid. S.H.I.E.L.D is pretty good about seeking that out." Her face remained unconvinced, and he sighed, stepping back towards her.

"Look, I know how it is. You age always seems like a reason to not do something. But this is a killer opportunity, and I promise you that if you don't take it, you'll regret it." He backpedaled, opening the door. "Besides, it might just change your life." He winked before making his exit, the door closing behind him.

Elle remained seated, slightly stunned at what had just happened. Lottie came in a few moments later, confusion written on her face.

"Um, did you know that Tony Stark was on our floor? I just passed him a few seconds ago. Hey, what's wrong? Wait, why is there takeout on the floor? What's going on?"

Elle looked at Lottie, mouth slightly agape. "I think Tony Stark just recruited me to work for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'm sorry, what?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Son of a-!"

Elle cut herself off, sticking the injured finger in her mouth to try to diffuse the throbbing pain. The wires above her sparked, and she could have sworn they were mocking her. She glared at them, muttering under her breath.

"Traitors."

"What was that, Engineer Berkley?"

She turned her head towards the agent that was looking at her, concerned. She gave him a slight smile, removing her finger from her mouth. She gestured at the open panel above her.

"It's nothing, Anderson. Just trying to get this section finished so we can move on from this turbine. I'm fine, really."

Agent Anderson smiled back before nodding and returning to his previous position, back towards her and scanning the work area. Elle let out a huff, pieces of hair fluttering before falling back into her eyes. She studied the exposed wires for a few more moments before fiddling with connections once more, hoping to fix the problem by dinner.

"Red to blue, green to yellow; reset the electric flow…" Her voice fell silent, her mouth still moving as she tinkered with the circuitry.

* * *

 _Click_.

Elle let out a sigh of relief as she finally closed the large panel, confident the issue was resolved. She walked out from underneath the turbine, ducking her head as she made her way towards a gaggle of engineers assigned to the same helicarrier. One of them held out a set of goggles and earmuffs, similar to the ones the rest of the group was wearing. She nodded at the girl before slipping them on and sounding the alert that they would be testing on their deck. After making sure the area was clear, Elle looked around, giving a thumbs up before pressing a few buttons on the panel in front of her.

The turbine above them started glowing, the blades whirring to life as it started to kick on. Elle watched nervously, biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands as the turbine coughed before stabilizing. She let out a sigh of relief, the energy of the engineers behind growing excited. A few of them laughed as the turbine continued to hum, and Elle let herself relax, a grin slipping onto her face. At least, she did until the turbine sputtered and the blades halted abruptly. Unfortunately, the feeling of triumph didn't last very long as the helicarrier faltered and the turbine stopped glowing. Defeat blanketed the crew as they stared at the turbine above them, the propulsion system sparking as the machinery gave a final cough.

Elle tilted her head back, putting her hands on the back of her neck before blowing out a puff of air, discouraged.

"Alright y'all, let's get some sleep. We'll get back to it tomorrow morning."

The agents and engineers shuffled towards their respective locker rooms, low conversation passing through the ranks. Elle gave one more long look at the helicarrier before heading towards the observation room. She requested a diagnostic of the test run and grabbed the papers that the printer spit out before emailing the link to herself. She shuffled through the papers before picking out the problem area, muttering to herself as she made her way down the long hallway in front of her.

Elle had returned to the office that S.H.I.E.L.D. had given her for the project and was now up to her elbows in blueprints and diagnostics. She couldn't quite get what was causing the turbine to malfunction, and it was driving her crazy. A knock at the door tore her from her thoughts, and she stood to open it, stumbling over her now-asleep legs. A quick glance at her watch told her that she had been there far longer than she thought, as did the growling of her stomach.

She opened the door right as another knock sounded, leaving the person behind it with a half-raised fist. She squealed and launched herself into their arms.

"Steve!"

The older blonde laughed and wrapped his freed hand around Elle's waist, hugging her to him.

"Hey, kid. How's it going?"

She pulled back, a bright smile still on her face as she opened the door wider to let him in. she grabbed one of the plastic bags full of food from his hands and placed it on a chair inside before she began to try and clear some of the mess from her desk. She continued chatting as she did so.

"How are you? I haven't seen you in so long! I mean, I know you have, like, top secret missions and all, but don't ya ever make time for your baby sister? Seriously! It's been forever! What if something life-alterin' happened to me while you were gone, and you wouldn't know, 'cause you don't ever wanna come 'n see me!" Her slight southern twang grew thicker the more excited she got, and she finally slowed herself down enough to breathe.

Steve chuckled at Elle's energy, the excitement in her voice accompanied by an unruly nest of curls on top of her head.

"Yeah, I missed you too. And, for the record, it's only been a few weeks, not forever," he responded, a smirk twitching at the edges of his lips as he passed her a box of fried rice. Elle rolled her eyes as she broke apart her chopsticks.

"Well, it's not like you ever text or call either. Which reminds me, I really should teach you how to video chat," she scolded as she dumped a packet of soy sauce into the box before her.

Steve simply chuckled again, opening his own box of food. "I'm sure you will, whenever you finish that thesis." He gestured to the paper that was precariously stacked on the corner of her desk. "How is that by the way?" Steve asked around a mouthful of kung pao chicken.

Elle waved her hand dismissively, still chewing. "You know how it is; inspiration comes and goes. One day I think I can finish the whole damn book, others, I feel like I could just throw up at the sight of another citation." She set the chopsticks onto the desk and reached underneath to grab a bottle of water, tossing one to Steve as she continued. "I mean, I  _know_  this stuff like the back of my hand! I just don't understand why I can't put it onto paper."

Steve laughed, opening the bottle of water before taking a sip. "You and I both know you have issues voicing your thoughts in appropriate terms. At appropriate times."

* * *

_BOOM_

Every head on the bridge turned towards the crash that sounded to see an  _extremely_  angry, albeit short, girl stood next to the hunk of smoking metal that she had tossed, her arms crossed across her chest. Her fiery green eyes searched the room as she tapped her foot impatiently, the taps turning to steps as she honed in on the director.

Director Fury's attention remained on speaking to Agent Hill, though his seeing eye was twitching slightly at the rapid footsteps that were approaching him. Agent Hill nodded her head behind him, and Fury turned to face what he knew was a furious Elle.

Her arms were crossed again, and her lips were set in a straight line, her eyes narrowed as he looked down at her.

"Chief."

"Director."

The icy stare-down caused the rest of the bridge to fall silent, chatter of the day's events coming to a standstill as the agents waited for the first move to be made. Money was passed around as hushed bets were placed, but nobody's eyes moved from the two people on the control deck.

"Who the hell just broke my ship, why the hell did Stark and the Human American Flag go out there without my permission or supervision, and what the hell has been going on today that nobody could find the time to answer any of my damn calls?!"

Elle's face remained eerily calm, considering the venomous tone she had just used towards the director. She knew it was out of line, and she knew that she was definitely in danger of a reprimand after all of this was over, but she was pissed. She had not spent the last year of her life developing the helicarrier just so people could go and screw it up, and she had  _not_  made sure her entire crew was trained expertly just so two hot-shot superhumans could risk their damn lives trying to fix it. She wasn't going to have anybody dying on her watch, and anything having to do with those propellers happened on her watch. Grease, she could deal with having on her hands. Someone's blood was a different story.

Director Fury just cocked an eyebrow at her before suggesting that they move into the room next to them. Elle kept the rest of her words to herself until they were inside the glass room, waiting until the door was closed to continue her assault on Fury. Agents on the bridge shifted to watch, staying perfectly silent to see if they could catch a few words.

Steve had come to stand behind Hill, his face a little frightened as he observed the small girl that was berating the director. He leaned down slightly, whispering in Hill's ear.

"Who is that? And why does she look so angry?"

Hill smirked as she responded, "That's our Chief Engineer, Elle Berkley. She's brilliant, one of the best and brightest that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ever recruited, but she's gotta temper."

Steve watched the girl gesture wildly, only stopping when Fury raised a hand to cut her off. "And why is she so angry?"

"She essentially came up with the whole design for this carrier. Stark helped, of course, but she was working alone more than she was with him. This ship is her baby, and she's not happy about the fact that her baby got broken and then put back together by you and Stark." Hill turned and clapped Steve on the shoulder as she started back towards her desk. "Oh, and unless you want to be next, I would suggest finding a place to hide."

He looked back as Hill walked away, a smirk still evident on her face. "What do you mean?" He shook his head in confusion, and turned back, only to see that the room was empty, and the curly-headed engineer was headed right towards him. His eyes widened at the girl's murderous look, and he swallowed, not fully understanding why a girl half his height and a third his weight scared him so much. She stopped a step away from him.

She looked like she was sizing him up, trying to find a way to take him down if there was a fight. After a few moments of silence, she moved her arm up, but, instead of a slap or scolding like Steve expected, she stuck her hand out for him to shake. He did so very cautiously, half-expecting her to try and use his grip against him. What had actually happened was an introduction. A very short and slightly bitter one at that, but an introduction nonetheless.

"I'm Elle. Berkley. I keep this beauty running."

"Steve. Steve Rogers." She laughed a little, and it was nicer than Steve expected.

"Yeah, yeah I know who you are. My great-grandfather was in the 107th. You're kinda the reason I'm alive." Steve smiled a little at that, and she started to return it before the slight frown twitched at the corner of her lips. "But I'm still pissed at you about the turbine. Riskin' your life like that is a real stupid thing to do, you know that?"

Steve pushed down the feeling of familiarity, knowing a certain brunette would have the same sentiment about his heroics. "Yes ma'am."

She actually did smile at that. "For the love of God, I'm barely twenty. Don't call me ma'am. It's weird."

Tony had waltzed past them at that point, popping a handful of peanuts in his mouth. "Jesus, now I have to deal with two blondes that are constantly on my ass." Elle had scurried after him, sending an apologetic glance at Steve.

"Stark, if you think I'm letting you off the hook, you have another thing coming!" She had shouted, picking up her pace as Tony tried his best to dodge her.

* * *

Elle wrapped her jacket tighter around her as she fumbled with the key to her S.H.I.E.L.D.-provided apartment. She finally got the key into the lock and opened the door, her main focus on getting a hot shower and comfortable clothes before collapsing into her bed. Steve followed, making his way towards the kitchen for a glass of water.

"I'm taking a shower, but you know where the sheets are and everything, so feel free to set up camp," Elle called over her shoulder as she grabbed a t-shirt and sweats from her room. She popped her head around the corner. "Or are you going home? It's gettin' kinda late, so it's up t'you."

Steve leaned against the counter, quietly thinking over his decision. "I got nothing till tomorrow night, so I got time."

Elle grinned at him before disappearing around the corner again, the sound of running water following not long after. Steve took his glass and decided to see what changes Elle had made to the apartment since he had been around last. The small cactus that sat on the windowsill was much more dead than it had been last time, and a few knick-knacks occupied the space next to it. Some of Elle's pictures had been hung on the wall along with her diplomas, and the stack of books on the coffee table had grown by at least three.

Choosing to focus on the pictures, Steve moved closer, trying to make out the details. One of Elle and Lottie at Elle's graduation was the first one that caught his eye. Both girls were laughing, their focus on each other rather than the camera. Smiling to himself, Steve moved to the next one, which was of Elle and himself in front of the Lincoln Memorial. She had insisted on venturing out into the biting cold to visit the memorial and had refused to admit it had been a bad idea even after she caught a cold the next day.

The third picture was a shot of Elle and Dr. Herman working on an experiment for Elle's thesis. She was listening intently to something he was saying as he demonstrated how a tool worked on the machinery in front of them. The final picture was of Elle, her mother, and her grandmother. Elle's head was leaning on top of her grandmother's and she was smiling brightly. Steve knew Elle was close with her family, and the loss of her grandmother to a brain tumor four months ago had had her reeling. It was one of the few times he had seen Elle cry, and she had even considered moving back to her small-town home in Texas. He had been relieved when her mother had convinced her to stay in D.C., on the condition that Steve would check in on her. He had obliged, not telling her mother that he checked in on her constantly anyways.

Elle came around the corner, drying her hair with a towel as she followed Steve's eyes. She smiled sadly at the picture, trying to ward off the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"You talked to your mom recently?" He asked, examining his glass.

Elle nodded, but spoke up when she realized his eyes were focused downwards. "Today. She said to tell you hello. She also wants to know when you'll find a girlfriend." Steve chuckled.

"Tell her I will when I find the time between the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and keeping track of you." Elle grinned at him before moving towards a closet door. She pulled a pillow and two blankets, tossing them towards Steve as she went to retrieve clothes for him to sleep in. Steve was in the process of pulling out her couch when Elle returned with a University of Texas t-shirt and a pair of sweats. He took the clothes while Elle finished making up the bed for him.

"Okay, there you go. A bed fit for a king," she drawled, bowing sarcastically as Steve returned to the room. He shook his head at her as she straightened, a lopsided smile on her face. He pulled her in for a hug, and she wrapped her small arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Steve kissed the top of her head before pulling away and stepping towards the couch. Elle gave him another smile before a yawn crept up on her and she bid him good night. Turning off the light in the hall, she made her way to her bedroom, ready to fall asleep on her feet. She sighed as she felt the cool fabric of her sheets, her eyes closing before her head even hit the pillow.

**A/N:  So there is chapter 2! In case there's any confusion, the part where Elle meets Steve is during** _**The Avengers** _ **after Steve and Tony fix the propeller on the helicarrier. I'm kinda trying to give Elle and Steve more context, so that was just a little idea I threw in there.**

**Okay! I hope y'all enjoyed! Please leave a review telling me what you think and follow/favorite for notifications! (But you knew that already** **)**


	3. Chapter 3

They had called her in on a _Saturday._ S.H.I.E.L.D. had called her at 7 a.m. on a Saturday to work. Elle glared at the now-dark screen on her phone as she sat in bed for a few more minutes, savoring the warmth before forcing herself up to get dressed. Hopping around as she pulled on her jeans, Elle knocked her knee against her bedside table. Hard.

"Holy Lord, Mother of Mary and Joseph!"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Elle's hands flew to her knee. That was _definitely_ going to leave a bruise. Thoroughly irritated, Elle finished the rest of her morning routine, swearing under her breath the entire time. She was out the door 15 minutes later, pulling on a jacket and stuffing her keys in her pocket as the door slammed behind her. She headed for the stairs, mentally calculating how late she would be after making a coffee and bagel run. Elle eventually realized that she didn't really care how late she was considering the ungodly hour they had called her in at, and changed her direction towards the coffee shop down the street. Rehearsing her order in her head, she barely noticed the large man walking straight towards her with a very hot cup of coffee.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!"

Elle grit her teeth before smiling at the man, his eyes wide as he surveyed the damage that his coffee had done to her shirt.

"It's fine, I should've watched where I was going," she said, trying to shake the coffee from her sleeves. The man continued to apologize profusely, offering to get napkins to clean it up, before Elle smiled again and assured him that it was okay. Now she was really going to be late.

* * *

It turned out that the rest of the day had it in for Elle. She had showed up to work, only to realize she was the only chief engineer there, so she would be working on the helicarriers herself, her only help coming from the agents that had also gotten called in. Unfortunately, they had the same feelings as her when it came to working on a Saturday morning, and the only help she received was from Anderson, who (bless his heart) knew jack about squat about turbines.

She had called Steve to see if he wanted to get lunch, but he apologetically explained that he was busy with something. So, she had eaten a chicken sandwich, alone, in the caf. In all honesty, it was more like she half-eaten a chicken sandwich that didn't quite taste right and thrown the rest away. At the end of the day, Elle had very little to show for her 11 hours of work, making her decide to call it quits. She walked back to her apartment, stopping at the food truck on the way to get a burger and fries, and decided she would have a pity party movie night for herself.

She started up the stairs, halfway pulling herself up by the railing. Her phone rang halfway to the first landing and she sighed, pulling it out while continuing up the stairs.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Where are you? Can you talk? Are you off work?"

Elle winced at Lottie's loudness, holding the phone away from her ear as she waited for Lottie to check her volume.

"I'm going home, yes, I can talk, and, yes, I'm off work," she replied, answering each of Lottie's questions as she balanced the phone between her chin and her shoulder, searching for her keys.

"Thennnnn I guess I can tell you about the new position I just landed!" Elle smiled at the excitement in her friend's voice as she finally got the door open. "Face Time me! I want to see your reaction when I tell you!"

"Hang on, Lottie. I have an armful of stuff I gotta put down," Elle responded, trying to drop everything on the counter without it falling everywhere. It didn't work. She sighed before pulling her phone from her ear and switching the call to video.

"There it is, let me just set you dow-OHMYGOSHLOTTIEYOURHAIR!" Elle exclaimed at the appearance of her friend. Lottie laughed, her smile slightly pixelated through the screen.

"I know, I know! I wanted a change, so ta-da!" the darker girl said, running a hand over her nearly-bald head before continuing. "Anyways, listen to what happened to me today!"

Elle started to eat her burger as Lottie relayed the events of her day, stopping her roommate when she had questions or needed clarification. "So, anyways, he calls me into the office, right? And I'm sitting there, one heel broken and the other totally lost in the NYC sewers or something, and he goes, 'I'm going to offer you the position of being our behavioral economic consultant,' and I don't even let the man finish – I start crying!"

Elle laughed around a fry. "You did not!"

"No, I swear I did! And I'm, like, blubbering to this guy who's going to be my boss and telling him he's totally not gonna regret this, and all that, and he leaned forward to shake my hand and welcome me aboard, and I'm still crying and shaking his hand and then I get up to leave. Elle, I tripped."

Elle let out a very unlady-like snort. "Like over yourself or just flat on your face?"

"Flat on my face!"

Elle laughed again, her head tilting back. "Lottie!"

Her roommate was laughing too, the camera shaking as she tried to hold it. "But they called me to confirm the hire, so it must have not been too terrible!" Elle finally stopped laughing, wiping a few tears as she smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Lottie. That's a great position!" Her roommate smiled through the camera.

"Yeah, I'm excited! Oh, crap, is that what time it is? I gotta go, I have to get ready!"

Elle smirked at her friend, moving from the kitchen to the couch. "You got a hot date with Alex?" Her roommate darkened slightly with embarrassment, murmuring something about it not being like that.

"Yeah, I bet, Lottie. I'll let you go. Love you, be safe, make good choices!"

Lottie rolled her eyes before laughing. "Love you too, Elle. Talk to you tomorrow!" Her image froze for a moment before disappearing from the screen.

Elle sighed, and dropped her phone on the couch next to her. She _really_ needed to do work on her thesis, but she _really_ didn't want to. She moved to plug her phone in instead, pressing the power button for the tv while she did so. The screen blinked to life as she went to change into more comfortable clothes, an ad for thermal socks filling her living room as she pulled on her sweatpants. She picked up a book and highlighter, determined to be somewhat productive, and started shuffling back to the living room. She made a detour to the kitchen, sticking a bag of popcorn in the microwave as she opened her book, leaning against the counter.

The microwave beeped loudly, signaling that her food was prepared, and she felt for the handle, her eyes never leaving the book. She finally tore her attention away to pour the popcorn into a bowl, hissing slightly as a drop of hot oil flew onto her hand. She threw the bag away and turned back, carrying the popcorn and the book into the living room. She settled into the couch and grabbed a handful of popcorn, placing a piece in her mouth as she watched the mindless reality show that was in front of her. She grabbed another handful of popcorn and threw it in her mouth, standing and wiping her hands on her pants as she walked towards the kitchen for a glass of water. She froze when a loud noise echoed through the apartment.

After waiting a few seconds, she resumed her task, but stopped again when the noise came again.

"Hello?"

There was no response. The eerie silence had Elle reaching for her largest kitchen knife before calling out again.

"Hello?!"

She moved towards where the noise had seemed to be coming from, being as quiet as possible. She was almost to the living room before she heard a clattering. Gasping, she turned towards her window. A gray cat looked at her innocently before opening its mouth in a big yawn. Elle quietly chuckled to herself, using the hand that didn't have the knife to reach out and pet the cat. It purred for a moment before climbing back down the fire escape. Elle frowned as she reached to shut the window. She must have opened it before she left and forgotten to close it. Pushing down and locking the window, Elle turned back to walk to her room. If she was getting nervous over a cat, she _really_ needed to sleep. She was getting ready to return to her not-really-a-study-session study session when a knock sounded on the door. Sighing in frustration, Elle walked to the door, looking through the peephole. She frowned and moved to unlock it.

"Agent Rumlow, what are you doing here?"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent walked past her frantically.

"We need you to come in immediately."

Elle rubbed her eyes tiredly, closing the door as she turned to face the agent.

"First of all, it's way too late for this. Second of all, what could possibly be so important that you need me to come in right now? Third of all, you work with counter-terrorism, not engineering, so why are _you_ here instead of Anderson? Fourth of all, how do you know where I live…" Elle had started trailing off halfway through the last thought, backing towards the counter where she had left her knife.

She was stopped by a brick wall of a person and twisted to see an agent she knew as Rollins standing behind her.

"What's going on?" she asked, her tone quiet as Rumlow pulled something from his pocket. Rollins grabbed her arm to prevent her from moving, and Elle began to panic. Her chest heaved as she sucked in gasps of air, her limbs turning to lead as she watched Rumlow flick a syringe, an air bubble wavering before disappearing. He took a step towards her, Rollins' grip entrapping both of her wrists now.

She felt herself slowly start to move, adrenaline kicking in as she tried to step backwards. Rumlow calmly continued towards her, Rollins' hands closing tighter around her. Elle began to kick her legs out, hoping to hit something, or at least give her a chance to loosen the grip on her arms so she could escape.

"No!" she screamed before a hand muffled her voice, something pricking in her neck. She started to feel woozy and swayed slightly. The hands around her face and wrists disappeared and she tried to take a step towards the door, her legs buckling beneath her. She fell to the ground, her head spinning as someone scooped her up, carrying her out the door. The last thing Elle saw were the numbers on her apartment door blurring together.

* * *

Her head hurt.

That was the only clear thought that Elle could formulate when she woke up. She squinted, trying to get her vision to stop spinning. Once she could clearly see the room in front of her, Elle tried to take in her surroundings. The room she was in had cinderblock walls and a concrete floor. The walls had a light beige paint that was chipping off in flakes, and there was only one door that looked like the heavy ones that protected safes. No windows, and no source of light other than the fluorescent bulb that was buzzing from the ceiling. Where the hell was she?

The night before came back in flashes; Rumlow and Rollins in her apartment, her futile attempt at escaping them, being carried from her apartment.

Elle immediately felt the panic rising in her chest. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths as she processed what was happening. So, she had just been kidnapped. Forced from her home, against her will, and taken to a place she didn't know. And she was alone. With no form of communication. And no idea what the hell was going on.

_Shit._

She stood, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants.

_It's gonna be fine, Elle. Rumlow is one of the good guys, right? There_ _has_ _to be a good reason for all this. Including why he found out where you lived. And drugged you. And kidnapped you._ _Shit_ _._

Elle took a shaking breath, then took a step towards the door. She reached out to the handle and slowly turned it. To her surprise, it was unlocked. She poked her head out into the corridor, scanning for other people before closing the door quietly behind her. With no sense of direction, Elle took a guess and started walking down her right. She passed a few doors that were marked with a jumble of numbers and letters that Elle couldn't quite understand. She had made it to the turn in the hall before she ran into her first guard. Literally.

She had walked straight into the chest of an armed guard, sending her stumbling backwards, letting out an "Oof!" as she hit him. She scowled up at the man's blank face.

"Watch it will ya?"

The man cocked an eyebrow at her. Elle realized it probably wasn't intimidating to have a 5'5" girl with frizzy blonde curls glaring up at you and tapping her foot impatiently. The man scoffed before grabbing her arm.

"Let's go. You're needed by Pierce."

Elle stopped resisting when she heard the name.

"Pierce? As in Alexander Pierce? As in Secretary to the World Council Alexander Pierce?"

The man let out a grunt, not really answering the question. Elle took it as a yes and kept walking. They eventually arrived at a heavy wooden door that had the words, "Office of Bank Manager" printed in gold. The guard knocked 3 times before the door swung open to reveal a nicely decorated office. Two guards stood by the door, and the one holding Elle's arm pulled her towards the mahogany desk, pushing her down into a chair. Elle looked to her left, seeing Rumlow leaning against the wall, examining a knife. She looked in front of her, stiffening a bit when she saw Secretary Pierce examining a manila folder file.

"Chief Engineer Elloraine Berkley. Born November 18th, 1992, making you 21 years old. You were born in Galveston, Texas, where you lived for three years before you and your mother moved up to Ennis after your father left. Graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering. You also have a Master's in Physics with a specialization in Electricity and Magnetism, and you're currently working towards a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington. In 2011, you were recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. by Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and you have since been working there as Chief Engineer and a consultant to Stark Industries. Your college roommate's name is Charlotte Parkridge, and she currently resides in New York City where she was just hired as a behavioral economist for a budding technology company. Your favorite color is maroon, you drink your coffee with almond milk, and you have a preference for classical music."

He dropped the file onto his desk, then smiled at Elle.

"It's a very impressive, very thick file, Miss Berkley."

Elle remained silent, her distrust growing by the second. Pierce held eye contact for a moment before standing and moving to a table next to his desk. Pouring himself a drink, he spoke again.

"I really admire your work ethic, which is why I recommended you for the open position we have here."

"Recommended me to be kidnapped, you mean."

His smile wavered but didn't drop.

"Don't think of it as a kidnapping," Pierce responded, moving to observe the large portrait above his desk. "Think of it as a recruitment."

Elle scoffed.

"Right, you just decided to drug me and take me in the middle of the night rather than asking for my resume."

Pierce took a sip of his drink, choosing his next words carefully.

"Miss Berkley, we need you for a very special project. One that requires your level of expertise and intellect."

"I can tell you right now that there are plenty of people much more qualified than I am. Just because I'm currently in the PhD program doesn't mean I have one yet."

Pierce stayed silent.

"Besides, what project does the World Council have that they couldn't approach me directly? Or through S.H.I.E.L.D. for that matter?"

Elle wanted to shrink in her chair at the wicked grin Pierce gave her.

"Oh, it's not for the World Council."

* * *

Steve knocked on Elle's door for the fourth time. He shifted his weight, hoping that the door would open soon. The door of Elle's neighbor's apartment creaked open and an elderly woman shuffled out. She smiled at Steve.

"Hello again, dear."

Steve smiled back politely, dipping his head in greeting to the dark-skinned woman.

"Hello, Mrs. Finch."

The woman walked toward the stairs, turning back to Steve before she began walking down.

"If you're waiting for Miss Elle, you'll be here for a while. I heard her moving around in her apartment last night before her door slammed and someone walked down the stairs. I reckoned that she had just gone back to work because she couldn't sleep, so you might check there."

"Alright, thank you ma'am."

The woman smiled and nodded again before slowly stepping on the first stair. Steve turned back to face Elle's door, furrowing his brow. Elle wouldn't leave that late at night, and she definitely wouldn't have made that much noise. He reached for where the spare key was hidden, hoping to find answers inside. Wishing he had his shield, Steve gently pushed the door open, scanning the living room. Seeing nothing, he moved farther inside. He frowned at how neat and clean the apartment was.

Elle wasn't a slob, but she always had reports, schematics, or textbooks laying around. The stacks of notes that usually littered the coffee table were gone, replaced by a candle and some flowers. Steve narrowed his eyes, moving to the kitchen. The biggest knife was missing, and the television was still on in the living room. There were also marks on the floor, like a chair had been knocked over, and one of the chairs at the bar had scuffs on it.

Steve wasn't quite sure what had happened in Elle's apartment the night before, but he knew something was very, very wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

The schematics they had given her made no sense whatsoever.

Elle frowned and turned the large piece of paper that now covered her floor a different way, hoping that a new perspective would help her understand it better. She sighed, leaning her back against the bed as she crossed her legs underneath her. Pierce still hadn't told her what this "project" was or who it was for. He had, however, expressed his interest in her participation in Project Insight.

"I think it would benefit you to know that I'm the one who initially started Project Insight. Oh sure, it's gone through committees and subcommittees and councils and S.H.I.E.L.D., but, it's a product of my own invention. Which technically makes me your boss."

He had smiled at Elle, as if he had made a joke and expected her to smile back. Elle had remained silent, though surprise had been evident on her face. He had handed several rolled up paper to the guard on her right.

"These are for you. For the project I need you on. You get 36 hours to study them, memorize them, whatever you need to do to prepare yourself. Then it's time for you to go to work."

The guard next to her had escorted her back to her room after their "meeting", Pierce following along with them as he explained his expectations and rules for her being there.

"You will receive three meals a day, bathroom privileges twice a day, and shower privileges once a day. Do anything to compromise these privileges and they will be revoked."

They had arrived at her room by then, and the guard holding her arm had pushed her inside. Pierce stood in the doorway.

"The more you cooperate, the better your time here will be. If you resist, well, let's just say there will be consequences."

He had left then, leaving her alone in her room, which is where she was now, trying to memorize the schematics and plans Pierce had given her, hoping she would be able to get out of this prison before she got herself killed.

She rubbed her temples, muttering to herself as she rearranged the plans yet again. She turned to the stack at her side, moving to pick up the first piece of paper but pausing as she saw the next set of paper underneath it. A sense of realization hit her, and she tried reordering the papers, adjusting them as she continued to stack them. She sat back on her heels as she finally saw what the schematics portrayed.

"What the hell?"

* * *

"Sir, it's ready."

Pierce looked up from the paperwork on his desk. Rumlow stood in front of him, dressed in his official STRIKE uniform. He nodded, finishing the signature he had previously been writing.

"You have your orders?"

"Yes, sir. We're set to head out tonight, 1800 hours."

"Good, good," Pierce responded absentmindedly. He stamped the file in front of him before finally standing. He grabbed his coat and briefcase before walking towards the door. Rumlow trailed close behind.

"How is she?" He was referring to Elle.

"Rollins said she wouldn't stop asking him questions about it when he brought her dinner and tried to take her to the showers, which she refused by the way. He didn't tell her anything but she's bound to get restless."

Pierce smiled and nodded at a passing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, before speaking to Rumlow in a hushed tone.

"It won't be long until the asset is activated. We need her to cooperate for the recalibration and minor repairs before the first assignment. Make it happen."

Rumlow gave a curt nod and turned down another hallway. Pierce continued towards the elevator, typing a message on his phone. He sighed as he made his way down to the garage, checking and answering emails. He still hadn't figured out a way to tell Elle about HYDRA; he needed her to continue cooperating and revealing that HYDRA were the ones that had kidnapped her probably wasn't a good way to do that. He stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the waiting town car, forcing a smile at the drive.

"Good afternoon, Rodney."

"Afternoon, sir. Where shall we be going today?"

"The bank, if you don't mind."

"Of course, sir."

Rodney closed the door behind Pierce and sat in the front to start the car. Pierce returned his focus to his phone, raising it to his ear as it rang.

"It's me. Is it ready?"

* * *

Elle pulled her hair in front of her eyes, attempting to braid the mess. The guard outside her door had switched twice, so she knew it was later in the day, probably around noon. The first meal she had been offered (and refused) that day consisted of eggs and bacon, meaning it had to have at least been a day and a half to two days since she had been kidnapped. She was still waiting for Pierce to return so she could get some answers.

In her free time, she had explored the small room she had been put in. There was one AC vent, too small for her to try to crawl into. The dresser had contained a drawer full of bland gray t-shirts and sweatpants, one with socks and undergarments, and one with toiletries and towels. Elle felt disgusting, but she didn't trust showering in an unknown place with unknown men watching her every move. Her stomach had protested at the denial of two meals in a row, but Elle also didn't trust food coming from a kitchen she couldn't see. They had probably drugged it so she would comply or something.

Even after hours of rearranging sheets and lining up wiring patterns, the puzzle of the schematics they had given her still made no sense. The way the panels were aligned, the way the circuits were arranged; it had looked like an _arm_. With the intricacies of the design, it was _years_ more advanced than anything Elle had seen, even from Tony.

 _Oh shit, Tony_. Forget Tony, how about _oh shit, Steve?_ It wouldn't take long for him to realize that something was wrong, especially after more than a day of no contact. And what about work? And school? Her mother? A sense of panic swept over her as she realized the very real possibility of HYDRA taking her life away from her.

"Hey! I need to talk to Pierce or somebody in charge!"

Elle tried to turn the doorknob, not surprised when it was locked, and started banging her fist against the cold metal.

"Hello?!"

She jumped back when the doorknob started to jiggle, stepping back as it slowly swung open, revealing Pierce and an armed guard.

"I heard you wanted some answers."

* * *

He felt… off.

His mouth felt like cotton, and his eyelids were heavy. He could barely keep them open as the balding doctor poked and prodded him. He felt the prick of the needle in his right arm, his left hand twitching as he tried to move it. It wasn't quite working as he wanted it to, but he knew a handler would be there soon to fix it. He was proved right as an authoritative man (Price? Prince?) stalked through the door. He kept his gaze on the ground as the man approached him. A small gasp from the doorway made his head twitch up. A girl stood there, her left arm in the grip of a guard. He met her eyes for less than a moment before returning his focus to the ground. The man came to stand in front of him. He didn't lift his eyes. He could hear the doctor speaking.

"His vitals are stable. He seems ready. Physically, at least."

The man nodded and gestured for the girl to come closer. The guard dragged her to him, but he could feel her eyes on him.

"What do you think, Miss Berkley?"

There was a long pause. He knew she was still staring at the arm.

"I think you're all monsters."

Pierce sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning and slapping Elle. She whimpered, strands of her hair falling to frame her face.

"Want to know what I think?"

Elle kept her eyes on the floor.

"I think you're going to do the work for us if you want your family and yourself to survive."


	5. Chapter 5

Elle had been escorted back to her room after her first look at him. She didn't know what to focus on first: The spot on her cheek that was most definitely swollen and bruised now or the fact that the "asset", as they called him, was Bucky Barnes. She only knew what Steve had told her about Bucky, but it was hard not to recognize him when his face had been plastered all over the Smithsonian for the past year. She was, of course, instructed to not say anything to him that could trigger any memories.

Pierce had made it clear that he was done with trying to let her get acclimated, and he was most certainly not going to have her mouthing off anymore. After making his threat to Elle and her family, she had been dragged back out of the room while the asset was "prepped". She didn't want to know what he was getting prepped for. Pierce had walked with her down the long hallways towards her room.

"So, I'm sure you've pieced at least part of the puzzle together, so let me make it incredibly clear that- "

"I probably shouldn't tell him about how he fell off a train in the 1940's and was supposed to have died but is somehow still alive and working for the organization he was fighting against the whole time, right?"

Elle swore that Pierce's eye had twitched at that.

She had been told that someone would come to get her when the asset was ready to see her. She returned her focus to her current predicament and trying to figure out how the hell HYDRA had gotten so deep into S.H.I.E.L.D. Another question was that if Pierce was HYDRA and he had come up with Project Insight, then what were her helicarriers actually going to be used for? She had been a chief engineer on the project and even she hadn't been told the exact purpose of them, but it had to be something sinister if HYDRA wanted them.

She leaned against the wall behind her, running a hand through her greasy hair as she tried to sort through it all. She wrinkled her nose at the feel of it, suddenly feeling incredibly grimy, ready to put her wariness of aside for the chance at a hot shower and a pair of clean clothes. Elle rummaged through the dresser, pulling a towel and change of clothes out of the drawers before knocking on the door hesitantly. The guard outside her door opened it hesitantly, his hand hovering over the weapon he had strapped to his waist, as if she was going to try and make a run for it.

Elle rolled her eyes before holding up the towels and clothes. "Can I use my shower privileges now?

He nodded curtly, straightening as he escorted her down a hallway.

"Soap's inside. You have 20 minutes."

Elle nodded before stepping into what looked like an old locker room. She started the water, waiting for it to warm up while she peeled off her clothes. She hummed in satisfaction when she stepped in, the hot water running down her back. She stood for a moment, enjoying it, before grabbing the soap and beginning to wash away the grime from the past few days. She didn't realize she was crying until she had scrubbed her left arm red.

She put her hands on the wall in front of her, her chest tight with emotion as she leaned against it, not caring if the guard outside heard it. She had lost practically everything - self-control was just another notch on the list.

She couldn't think straight but she kept trying to get a grasp on the memory of the last time she had been with her mother. Or Lottie, or Steve. She could fail out of grad school and get fired for all she cared, but her family wouldn't even know what happened. Her legs no longer felt like they could hold her, and she fell to the floor, defeated.

The sobs came up in heaves; Elle was barely able to stop once the water shut off, signifying that her 20 minutes were up. She sat still for a moment, her breath stuttering as she tried to catch it. She eventually willed the strength to stand, and dried off, wiping her face as a few more tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Wiping a circle into the fogged-up mirror on the wall, Elle winced at her reflection. Her eyes were swollen, and red blotches had crept up her neck and face. She splashed some cold water from the faucet on them, hoping it would help with the swelling and color. After dressing in the clothes she had brought with her, Elle pulled her hair up, mustering her dignity. She'd be _damned_ if HYDRA tried to take that from her too.

* * *

She had returned to the room after her shower, a plate of steaming food waiting on her bed when she walked in. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of the meals it had been denied over the last two days. She tentatively moved towards it, trying to figure out what it was.

It _looked_ like spaghetti. A pile of pasta smothered in tomato sauce stared back at her, a side of salad and a slice of bread next to it. She picked up the fork next to it, twirling some of the noodles onto the utensil and placing them in her mouth suspiciously.

They actually weren't terrible. Elle wasn't sure if it was the fact that she hadn't eaten in so long, or the actual quality of the food, but she finished the rest of her plate quickly, wiping her mouth with her sleeve as she set the plate aside. A pitcher of water on top of the dresser caught her eye, and she eagerly poured a glass for herself, gulping it down. Her cry session had dehydrated her, and she greedily drank a second cup, finally quenching her thirst.

The fullness of her stomach and the overwhelming emotion and exhaustion she felt caught up to her, and her eyelids began to feel heavy. The small bed across the room seemed much more inviting than before, and she moved over to it, flopping onto the stiff mattress. She pulled the blanket over her shoulder and drifted off to sleep, hardly able to come up with a reason that she shouldn't allow herself the rest.

* * *

The door to her room slammed into the wall behind it, causing Elle to shoot up, slightly panicked at the loud noise. A guard stalked into the room, standing at the foot of her bed as he waited for her to wake up fully. She blinked several times and yawned before giving him her full attention. "They're ready for you," he grunted, before turning on his heel and walking out. Elle scrambled to stand and catch up with him.

She followed behind him quietly, relying on him to guide her through the unfamiliar halls. She knew they were either in or underneath a bank of some sort, that much she had gathered when the room that held the soldier was covered from wall to wall in safety deposit boxes. Once she had a better sense of the place's layout she could figure out how to either escape or reach out to Steve, consequences be damned.

He stopped in front of the room they had been in previously, stepping to the side to keep guard while waving Elle through. Pierce was there, along with a doctor, and a few men in lab coats. Pierce smiled brightly when she walked through the door, as if he hadn't backhanded her a few hours ago.

"Gentlemen, this is Elle. She is a prodigy in the field of Mechanical Engineering, and we were just lucky enough to snatch her up."

The other men introduced themselves, each reaching to shake Elle's hand. She stared at them blankly until they lowered their hands.

"Now, Miss Berkley, we've given you any and all tools necessary and these gentlemen will be assisting you throughout the process."

"I don't need help."

Pierce chuckled.

"I know you may think that, but we believe in teamwork down here, so this is your team."

Elle had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"All due respect to all of y'all, but I work better alone. When it's quiet. And I'm not surrounded by armed guards," Elle drawled, crossing her arms and looking at Pierce pointedly. If he was going to make her work for him, she was going to do it her way. And her way was working alone with the man that was sitting in the chair three feet away. Pierce grit his teeth but forced a smile.

"Come on then, we best not get in the way of Miss Berkley," Pierce said in response, shooing mostly everyone out into the corridor. She could feel them watching her through the bars, eyes focused on every move. There was a guard left on the inside of the room, eyes on Elle as his hand resting on the Glock 22 that was strapped to his waist. Elle did roll her eyes that time, rolling up her sleeves as she slowly made her way to the man.

"Hello," she said in a soft tone, as not to scare him. His facial expression remained the same, his eyes not moving towards the sound of her voice.

"My name is Elle, I'm an engineer and I'll be working on your arm."

His eyes kept the same glazed look, his attention focused on a spot on the floor rather than her. Elle pulled a chair up next to the side she would be working on before piling her hair on top of her head in a sloppy bun. She examined the tools in front of her, trying to match each one to its purpose.

"I'm going to open up this panel first, and what I'm going to do is weld these two bits together, and then I'll splice the wires and reconnect them, which should restore motion to your wrist area and hand. Does that sound good to you?"

There was no response, but Elle could see him tensing himself, getting ready for any pain he might feel as he held his arm towards her. She picked up a metal hook that popped the panel open, then swapped it for a small tool that resembled a welding torch.

"So, I gave you my name, you going to tell me yours?"

She was met with more silence. Feeling slightly defeated, she turned to grab the wire strippers, only to be met by his gaze when she turned back towards him. He looked lost, like he was trying to find something in her eyes.

"I… I don't know my name," he responded, his voice thick, like he needed to clear his throat.

Elle's heart sunk. They hadn't even left him with his name? She itched to tell him, to see if he would respond, but she knew the repercussions would be steep.

"Oh."

More silence.

She finished her work, putting some finishing touches on the wiring before closing the panel gently.

"Alright, there you go. Try to rotate your wrist for me."

He did as she asked, flexing his hand into a fist and moving each finger individually. Elle almost smiled at the minor success but remembered where she was and quickly bit it back. She pointed to the next panel, right above the crook of his elbow, on the inside of his arm, giving a questioning look. He merely held the metal arm out, stretching it out on the armrest next to him.

"So, if you don't have a name, what am I supposed to call you?" she asked lightly, and he responded with a simple shrug, his face remaining impassive. Elle just continued to work, trying to decide if she should tell him what the truth about his identity was or keep her head down while she was in HYDRA's clutches.

"Well, Lord knows there's no way in hell I'm gonna call you 'the asset'," she said eventually, using tweezers to realign a small chip. "So, you gotta come up with something else."

He watched her work, her brows furrowed in concentration. He had known as soon as she walked through the door for the first time that she wasn't a part of HYDRA, but the way she was speaking to him just confirmed his belief. The way she had carried herself, how she had talked back to that man (he had heard her call him Pierce), the punishment she had received for it, and now asking for his name, refusing to call him the only name he knew in this place.

Pierce hitting Elle had left an unsettled feeling in him, but he couldn't quite identify it. He just knew that if he intervened, it would be much worse, for both her and him. He also knew if she kept pissing the wrong people off, she wouldn't last very long.

Elle finished the last connection of wires before closing the panel.

"That should do it. Go ahead and bend your elbow. Okay, great!" She sounded overly excited for a prisoner who was being forced to work on an assassin's arm. "Last panel. You ready?" She was asking him, and he blinked twice before slowly nodding.

She had to stand to reach the panel sitting where the socket of his shoulder would be. The sensation of a curl brushing against his skin made him twitch away slightly, and she winced.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to pull that hard."

He gave no response, not bothering to correct her, and settled back into the chair. She pulled the strand of hair behind her ear and spoke under her breath as she tried to fix the circuitry. She stuck her tongue out slightly in concentration before untwisting a shorted wire and replacing it.

"Okay, I think that's it. Go ahead and swing your shoulder a little." He followed the request, but the movements were jerky, unnatural. Elle frowned and put her hands on her hips.

"Hang on, let me try something else," she said, grabbing a different tool to move the wires and investigate the circuit boards below. "Aha! Gotcha!" she exclaimed triumphantly as she used the tweezers to pull a burned out printed circuit board. She frowned at the half-charred piece of technology.

"Can you move it at all now?" His arm whirred slightly as it failed to move beyond the crook of his elbow, his fingers twitching sporadically as he tried to demonstrate his range of motion. He looked at her quizzically, his eyes asking her what had happened. Elle sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Pierce stepped back into the room as she did so, his dress shoes clicking against the concrete floor. He stopped a foot away from her, examining the man in front of him with cold calculation.

"What's the status of the asset?"

Elle held up the blackened chip, a frown on her face. "This is what's causing the problem. He can't quite get full range of motion back until we get a new one," she responded, turning to face Pierce. The frustrated set of his jaw gave her the slightest sense of satisfaction. "And from the look on your face, I'm guessing you don't have spares of these just lying around."

Pierce rubbed his chin in thought before answering. "How long would it take to recreate it, if we get the right technology?"

"I'd say anywhere from three to six months," she responded, a sense of dread overcoming her at the look in Pierce's eye. "But you'd have to have someone who knows this tech like the back of their hand."

He gave her a strained smile. "Well, I guess it's rather lucky that we got you then, isn't it?"

Elle's heart sunk at the words. So much for getting out of this.


	6. Chapter 6

ve ran a hand through his blonde hair, making it stick up slightly on the ends as he listened to the darker-haired man through the video monitor.

"Look, Steve, I haven't heard from her and she's definitely not – PEPPER, ELLE ISN'T HERE RIGHT?! – she's definitely not here. I'll keep an eye and an ear out for her but keep me in the loop. I'll send you anything I get," Tony said, his mouth set in a grim line.

Steve nodded, thanking him before ending the call. He pulled a hand down his face, hoping to wipe away the concern he felt with it. It had been a week, _seven whole days_ , since he had seen Elle or even made contact with her in any way. Nobody in her department knew anything; most of them hadn't spoken to her since the day before she disappeared. Fury had agreed to have S.H.I.E.L.D. agents posted outside her apartment, and had a small group looking for leads on the side.

Tony had been his last hope, that Elle had just gotten overwhelmed with her work and school and had taken retreat in their friend. The sinking feeling in his chest moved towards his stomach, and Steve closed his eyes, willing himself to think clearly. Her phone had been left in her apartment, along with literally everything else she owned. She obviously hadn't left willingly; the scarred floor and mess in the kitchen told him that much. Nothing had been reported to any DCPD units, and her mother hadn't heard from her in twice as long as Steve.

The elder Berkley had suggested a trip up to Washington, her concern peaking when Steve had called her. He had insisted that it was nothing, just work, but you can only fool someone for so long. Steve reviewed Elle's call logs for what seemed like the hundredth time that week, his eyes tiredly scanning the screen in front of him. He scrolled to the top, working his way down slowly before scrolling back up. Lottie. How could he have not called Lottie?

He had only met the girl once, but it was totally plausible that Elle had gone to see her. Even if she hadn't, Lottie may know something about that night. Steve copied down the number on the screen before switching it off and heading to Fury's office.

_Just hang in there, Elle. We're gonna find you._

* * *

Elle rubbed her eyes tiredly, the words in front of her blurring together. Upon Pierce's decision that she would be the creator of the tech needed to fix "the asset's" arm, she had been flooded with books, diagrams, and tools to use in her development. She felt tremendously overwhelmed, her head hurting due to the recent intake of information. Sighing, she put down the book she had been reading, letting her eyes slip close.

This tech was going to be incredibly advanced, meaning months of development. She opened her eyes, looking towards the small marks she had made on the wall next to her, drawing another line with the black marker she had. Seven days. She had been missing for an entire week. Steve had definitely noticed something was up by now, and if he hadn't, then S.H.I.E.L.D. or Dr. Herman would have. Or at least, she prayed that they had.

The doorknob clicked and twisted, Pierce taking a few short steps into her room.

"How is your research, Miss Berkley?"

She refrained from laughing, instead shaking her head. "Do you think it's still considered _my_ research if I'm being forced by a psychotic egomaniac to do it?" she mused, sitting up and leaning against the wall.

Pierce just smirked, straightening his sleeve. "Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood, and I'll let that little comment slide," he said putting his arms behind his back. Elle remained silent and he continued, "If you would be so kind as to follow me."

Elle slipped on the shoes by her bed, trailing behind Pierce as he walked down the cold hallway. He turned left, and Elle faltered slightly, confused by the change of direction. She had never been down this way before.

"I do hope you don't think I'm as stupid as you treat me," he started, and Elle quickened her pace to avoid getting left behind.

"I like to cover all of my bases, and when we understood that your stay would be a bit longer than originally intended, I knew that I would have to do something to cover the tracks. Not to mention, you're rather abrasive, Miss Berkley, and it was apparent that you wouldn't cooperate unless I had some sort of leverage," he said, turning another corner.

Elle could feel her confusion slowly melt into dread as they stopped in front of a door. A guard opened it, holding it as Pierce entered, Elle following. The room was dimly lit, a large window on one wall. A guard sat inside, a computer on the desk before him and Pierce nodded to him as they stepped inside.

He turned to Elle, continuing his thought from earlier. "What I said the other day, about your family's survival depending on your cooperation? I intend to keep on that promise," he said, before nodding at the man with the computer again.

The window in front of them lit up, and Elle squinted at the brightness, the contents of the room coming into focus as her eyes adjusted. A small room was in front of them, similar to the one Elle was being held in, but the only furniture was a chair in the middle of the floor. There was someone sitting in it, but a black bag covered their head. A door opened, and a guard walked through, standing behind the chair before pulling off the bag. Elle's hand involuntarily flew to cover her mouth, and she felt sick.

Her mother's head lolled forwards, her eyes fluttering slightly before going still. She looked relatively unharmed, a scrape above her left eyebrow being the only exception. The older woman's eyes remained shut, her body slack against the restraints holding her in her chair. Elle felt her eyes filling with tears, a strangled breath finally breaking through her throat. Pierce watched the reaction indifferently, giving a few more seconds before signaling the guard again. The room went dark, and Elle finally uncovered her mouth, her eyes moving rapidly as she tried to find her mother again.

"You see, Miss Berkley, I do hope that we can agree to work together on this. Your contributions to this project would be very much appreciated," Pierce said, a business-like air about him as smiled wryly at her.

"Go to hell," Elle said, her voice slightly strangled as she turned to face him.

Pierce's eyes went dark, and Elle was suddenly pinned against a wall, a hand wrapped around her throat. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. Your mother is only unharmed because I have allowed it. She is only alive because I have allowed it. _You_ are only alive because I. Have. Allowed. It. Your actions have consequences, something you need to get through your head. You _will_ finish your research, create the technology, and continue to do exactly as I ask. Consider this your final warning," he said, releasing his grip.

Elle fell to her knees, coughing as she put a hand to her throat. Pierce's polished shoes disappeared from her line of sight and she was lifted from her spot on the floor, still gasping. The guard pulled her back to her room, shoving her inside before locking the door. Elle drug herself to sit against the wall, sinking to the floor. Her throat felt like it was burning. She let out a few more coughs, her breathing finally regulating. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes, and she wiped at them violently, hoping to stop them before they began.

She had absolutely no doubt that Pierce would carry out any threats he gave, something that made her heart feel like it was going to drop straight through the floor. She leaned her head back, resting it against the cinderblock wall. What a mess she had gotten herself in.

* * *

Sweat trickled down his face, strands of hair framing his eyesight as he bowed his head slightly. A noise came from his right, and he twisted to stop the knife coming down on him, using the momentum to push his attacker back. The knife made its way to his good arm and he brought it up, effectively stopping the guard trying to sneak up behind him. The third and final guard stood in front of him, swinging a night-stick as they stood in a sort of stand-off.

The guard finally charged, and he side-stepped him, grabbing the man from behind and hurling him backwards. The stick found his cheek, and he paused for a moment, slightly stunned. The guard swung again, and he countered it with his left hand, ripping it from the guard's grasp. His arm twitched, and he tossed the stick to his right hand, gripping it tightly. The guard came again, and he swung, missing the first time but landing a hard blow to the stomach the second. His knee came up to hit the man's chin as he doubled over, and the guard fell to the floor, joining the other two.

Slow clapping sounded from the corner, and he glanced up. Pierce stepped over the fallen guard, making his way towards the asset. "Impressive. All of this with only one arm," he said, crossing his own arms.

He stayed silent. Pierce continued. "Tomorrow, you join Engineer Berkley in an observation room. No training. Meaning I want it all done today," he said, nodding towards the men on the ground. "Clean up this mess in the meantime." He left, a guard by the door following him.

He looked down at the groaning men surrounding him. Round two.

* * *

Elle groaned, dropping the yellow highlighter she had previously been using to mark the thesis in front of her. She was going to go crazy if she kept reading about printed circuit boards and how to make them. Her door opened, and she looked up hesitantly, still shaken from her experience with Pierce. Instead of Pierce appearing, however, there was the sound of a struggle. Someone landed on the ground in front of her, and the door slammed shut.

"Mom!" Elle cried, moving over to where her mother had fallen, hitting her knees as she tried to help her.

Her mother looked up, bewildered, before focusing on Elle. "Elle? Oh my God, my baby!" Her mother began to weep, and they embraced, their arms wrapped around each other tightly.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?" Elle asked, her hands cupping her mother's face as she looked for any signs of bruising or bleeding.

Her mom sniffled, shaking her head as she gripped Elle's arms. "No, no, I'm fine, honey. Oh Lord, what have we gotten into? What is this place?"

Elle shook her head, her throat tightening. "It's my fault, Mom. It's my fault you're in here. They took you to use you against me," she said, tears spilling down her face.

Her mother shook her head, wiping a tear from the tip of Elle's nose. "No, no, it's not your fault. We're both okay, that's all that matters. But, Elle, honey, you gotta tell me something."

Elle nodded, searching her mom's eyes as she waited for the request.

"What the hell is happening?"

* * *

The next morning found Elle and her mother on the floor, both of them sound asleep as the door to Elle's room opened, slamming against the wall behind it. Elle shot up, and her mother followed, both of their hearts racing. A guard appeared in the room, his eyes landing on the two.

"Let's go," he said gruffly, moving towards Elle's mother. Elle felt her eyes go wide as he pulled on her arm, and she reached out to stop him.

"No, please, just leave her," she begged, holding onto her mom's arm.

"Pierce's orders. She goes," he said, ripping her hand from the older woman's arm. Elle began to cry, and her mother gave her a small smile.

"It's gonna be okay, Elle. I promise," she whispered, winking as the guard dragged her from the room.

Elle's mouth felt dry and she stared at the empty space where her mother had been until a guard came for her. She allowed herself to be pulled away, walking with the guard in a daze until he stopped at a door. She recognized it from her first day, the crisp, white symbols and numbers a stark contrast to the dark steeliness of the door. The guard punched in a code before scanning his hand, the door unlocking for him. He pushed Elle into the room, commanding her to sit before moving to the other side of the room.

A large table sat in the middle of the room, two chairs on either side. A desk with scientific equipment was pushed into the corner, and a whiteboard was hanging next to it. It looked vaguely like a classroom, minus the armed guard. The door behind her clicked open and a man with an impeccably white lab coat entered, a case in his hand. He smiled and greeted her, but Elle remained silent, keeping her face impassive.

The case was laid on the table, and he unlocked it before exiting the room. Elle had just begun to walk over and observe the contents when the door opened again. Heavy footsteps sounded behind her, and Elle turned to see three guards surrounding him. He looked much better than the first day she had seen him; the coloring of his face was less pale, and he looked cleaner, his hair no longer greasy.

A guard informed her that she was to observe the old PCB and how it affected the asset's arm, begin preliminary sketches. Elle just stared at them all until they disappeared, leaving her alone, save him and the guard that had initially escorted her to the room.

She motioned the chair across the table, "You can sit over there, if you want." He obliged, and Elle pulled her chair around the table, coming to sit next to him.

"How is your arm feeling? Any pain, abnormal sensations?" She asked gently, running her fingers through her hair before pulling it up into a ponytail.

He shrugged, and Elle felt slightly betrayed until he spoke to her. "It keeps twitching."

The sentence was only three words, but she felt like it was an achievement. She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling, instead asking him about the arm. He pointed out where the problem was, and she pulled the case over to her, pulling out the tools from inside. She furrowed her eyebrows at the gun that was in the case and he silently took it from her, putting it on the table with the muzzle facing him. She wanted to ask, but the look on his face told her it was better not to.

"Right then, you ready?" she asked, holding up the small pliers.


	7. Chapter 7

Thirty-seven days. She had been in this hell hole for thirty-seven days.

Elle rubbed her eyes tiredly as she dropped her pencil back onto the desk. She had counted the marks in her corner this morning and it was the only thing that had occupied her thoughts all day. She was starting to feel a little less hopeful and a little more helpless. She had tried to stall the process of beginning the tech for as long as possible, but Pierce was growing impatient, and his threats grew more realistic each day, even to the point of her gaining a black eye and bruised cheekbone that she still sported. She had convinced him to give her one more week before actually starting, and he had grudgingly obliged.

Her mother was often allowed into the room, eating breakfast and dinner and sleeping with Elle. She would only leave Elle when it was time for Elle to go to work, and she returned with bruises more often than not. Her mother was strong, but she could only take so much, and that thought alone was what spurred Elle to work for Pierce.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door clanking open, several guards stepping through before revealing him. She shifted in her seat, keeping her focus on the tools in front of her as she rearranged them for the eleventh time. The seat across from her creaked as he settled his weight in it, his metal arm whirring irregularly. It wasn't until the retreating footstep of the guards wandered outside, leaving the usual one in the room, that she finally glanced at him through a curtain of curls. He stared at her, his mouth a straight line as his eyes blankly met hers.

Elle motioned at him with her head and he pulled the chair around to her, leaning forward in his chair as he waited for her to speak. She said nothing for a while, fidgeting with a tool on the table, the thing nearly falling from her hands when his fingers stilled hers. She looked at him and he motioned to the marks on her skin with his eyes. She brushed her fingers over the swollen skin stretching across her cheek and eye, and he kept his intent gaze on her.

"It's nothing. Really," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as he remained unconvinced.

His lips remained in a firm line, unhappy with her mediocre explanation, but he released her fingers, pulling away slightly. Her eyes grew wider in realization as she remembered something.

"Oh! I brought this," she said, keeping her voice low as she rifled through the pile of books that she had selected for her research.

She pulled a small, worn book from the bottom, pushing it into his hands. He looked at it, confused as he read the title: The Big Book of Baby Names. He looked up at her for an explanation.

"I thought we could look through it, see if you wanted to pick something for me to call you, since you don't remember your real one," she responded, wringing her hands nervously.

He blinked slowly, switching his gaze between her and the book. His fingers grazed the cover, tracing the blue words. He finally swallowed, looking up at her and nodding.

"Thank- Thank you," he said, dipping his head in thanks.

Elle could hardly contain the smile that curled on the edge of her lips.

"You're welcome."

They searched through the book for an hour, scanning over the boys' section. Sometimes he would read in silence, following the words with his finger; sometimes she would read out loud, always keeping her voice small enough to where the guard wouldn't hear it. Elle always kept an eye on his face, looking for a reaction when she read the name.

"Jameel?" Nothing.

"Jameison?" A furrowed brow, but nothing else.

"James?" It was the slightest change. Elle was sure that if she had blinked, she would have missed the spark that had passed over his face. His face scrunched slightly in thought as he repeated her.

"James."

It felt foreign on his lips, but there was still something so familiar about the name that Elle had given him. She had lit up ever so slightly when he said it, so he decided on it. He gave her a nod before saying the name again. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Nice to meet you, James," she said, her eyes twinkling slightly.

The blonde behind the desk let out a frustrated groan before hanging up the phone and crossing something off a list. He dragged a hand over his face.

"How goes it?" Natasha asked, setting a cup of coffee in front of Steve.

"It's going terrible, thanks for asking," he replied, making a face as he sipped the coffee.

The redhead sighed before leaning on the desk next to him. "Look, Steve, I know how much Elle means to you, and how much she means to all of us-" Steve cut her off with a pointed look.

"I'm not giving up the search. She's out there somewhere, I just have to find where," he replied, taking another drink of coffee before returning his attention to the shrinking list of names in front of him.

"It's been a month, Steve. I love the kid too, but we can't keep using SHIELD resources to try and find her, and you haven't gotten a fresh lead in days," she said, crossing her arms.

"If it were me missing, would you be saying this? Or would Fury be sending every available agent out there to find something - anything about my disappearance? Wouldn't you be going undercover to interrogate everyone you could about me? Just because she's not SHIELD's super-soldier doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be found. She's my family, the only family I've got, so I'll keep looking until I find a body or mine falls over dead," Steve said, his jaw set with fierce determination.

Natasha only nodded, picking up her cup of coffee as she walked to the other side of the desk and turned the computer on.

"Give me your list, it'll be better if someone with fresh eyes takes a look."

One week later….

The days had started going by in a blur. Elle had finally gotten the routine of her prison down, making a sort of schedule for herself with the help of a watch she had been given.

Lights turned on at around 7:30, with breakfast coming at 8:00 on the dot. At 8:45, a guard came for her mother, and at 9:00, Elle was sent to work. Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays, she would be in the lab with James, testing and adjusting tech until 5:00. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, she was in the research center, drawing sketches and schematics to test the next day.

Sundays, she was normally left alone, and her mother would be allowed to stay with her all day. They had taken to playing cards most days or reading books from the small library that HYDRA had given Elle. She had made friends with a few of the guards, and some of them would snag fiction books for her when they went to retrieve the textbooks she needed.

Lunch time varied from day to day, but it normally happened from 12:00 to 1:00. Dinner always came at 6:30, along with her mother, and they had a small amount of free time until lights out at 10:45. She slightly hated herself for being accustomed to being a prisoner, but it had been so long. She stopped resisting as much, and her hope of being rescued dwindled with each mark on her wall.

Pierce had rewarded her obedience with less suspicion, real clothes, and more freedom to roam around the halls without an escort. Which is what she found herself doing that particular day, looking for something to interest her instead of the walls in her room. Two guards stood in front of a door, peaking her interest, and she made her way over to them, intent on finding out what was behind the door. She recognized one, but not the other, as she moved to open the door. A hand stopped her.

"Sorry, but I don't think you're allowed in," the guard - she thought his name was Marshall - said, staring at her as she frowned.

"What's in there?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"None of your damn business, that's what," the unfamiliar guard grunted, shifting to block her from the door. "Now scram."

Elle rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. Marshall fidgeted for a moment before muttering something to his partner. The other man looked at him incredulously before moving as Marshall opened the door, allowing her in.

She looked at the open space suspiciously before stepping in, nodding at him as he closed the door. It looked like her room, only slightly smaller and with even less inside of it. A mattress was pushed up against the corner, a blanket folded on top of the pillow. There was a small chest, but it was locked when Elle tried to open it. Another door besides the one she came in through was on the opposite wall, and she reached out for the doorknob. It turned before she touched it, and she jumped back.

James emerged, a towel in his hand as he wiped his face, the rest of him clad in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Elle felt her face burn at the invasion of privacy when he finally saw her. His posture was defensive at first but relaxed when he realized who she was.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly confused by her presence in his room.

"Oh, uh, I was just, uh, exploring a little when I saw the guards, and I, uh, wanted to know what was in here, so…" She finished lamely, the burning of her cheeks intensifying.

The corners of his mouth turned upwards for half a second before returning to his usual stoic expression. She thought his smile was nice, and she hardly minded that it was at her expense.

"You should probably go. I don't want you in trouble," he said, moving around her as she got slightly giddy at the realization that this was the most he had spoken to her.

She finally got a glimpse behind the door, seeing a small bathroom. It was hardly enough room to stand in, with a toilet, sink, and shower crammed inside. She supposed they didn't want him out of his room any more often than necessary. She turned back towards him and crossed her arms as he mimicked her posture.

"What if I don't want to leave?"

James just shook his head, a few droplets of water falling from the ends of his hair. She waited for him to speak again, but they were back to gestures. She sighed, feeling defeated after getting so much from him, and moved towards the door. He knocked his fist against the door, keeping his gaze on her.

"See you tomorrow," she said, her arm brushing his as she walked through the entryway.

He stared at the door long after the lock clicked, as if he was expecting her to reappear. His arm felt like it had been burned, and the sensation remained until he went to sleep. He was getting far too attached to the blonde engineer.

A ringing phone jolted Steve from his slumber, and he scrambled to pick it up, several papers and file folders scattering onto the floor around him.

"Hello?" Steve said into the phone, before realizing it was his cell phone that was ringing.

He picked up the smaller phone, answering it the same way. Natasha lifted her head from the arm of Steve's couch, squinting her eyes as she tried to see through the dark room. Steve rested his forehead against the heel of hand, listening to the voice on the other end.

"Okay. Yes. Yes, I can be there within the hour. Okay. Goodbye," he said solemnly, placing the phone back on the desk.

Natasha waited for an explanation; her internal clock told her it was far too late for it to be good news. Steve sat still for a moment before grabbing his keys and heading out the front door of his apartment, leaving it open as he practically sprinted down the stairs. She searched frantically for her keys and jacket, shrugging the latter on as she jogged to keep up with Steve. He made it to his bike starting it and barely giving Natasha anytime to get on before taking off.

Natasha tried to ask where they were going but Steve never answered, causing her to fall silent. Her suspicions were raised even higher as they pulled into the parking garage for Providence. The duo made their way to the ER, Steve stopping at a nurse's station to ask for more information about an Elle Berkley. Natasha's heart stopped slightly at the name. The nurse directed them to the waiting room, and the two sat in the plastic, pink chairs pressed against the wall.

Steve's posture was tense, and his knee was bouncing up and down rapidly as he stared a hole into the floor. "Something about this whole thing isn't right. Elle's emergency contact is her mother, not me. They said they couldn't get ahold of her. The woman practically sleeps with her cell phone in case of Elle having an emergency," he said, shaking his head. "Something's just not right."

Natasha didn't get the chance to respond as a doctor approached them.

"Are you Elle Berkley's family?"


	8. Chapter 8

Steve grit his teeth, willing himself to swallow the tightness in his throat. Natasha nudged him, a silent question passing between the two. He shook his head slightly, and she returned her focus to the front of the church where a solemn-looking pastor was praying. He finished, the congregation repeating his "amen" as they sat back in the pews.

Tony made his way up to the podium, thanking the pastor lowly. He cleared his throat, adjusting a few pages before him before looking out at the crowd. Purple bags darkened the underside of his eyes, making him appear much older than usual.

"If you came here today not knowing much about Elle Berkley, you really only need to know one thing: she was the most genuine person I had ever met. Her passion and enthusiasm for engineering were surpassed only by her passion and enthusiasm for life. She was smart as a whip and made sure you knew it."

Light laughter rippled through the crowd.

Steve shifted behind the podium, deliberately keeping his eyes away from the casket next to him.

"The first time I met Elle, she threatened me, and then she thanked me in the same sentence, which sums up her personality pretty well if you ask me."

He smiled at the memory, while the congregation chuckled at his statement.

"Jokes aside, Elle was one of the best people I ever knew. Losing her is like losing the sister that I never had the privilege of having. The world will forever be darker without her." He cleared his throat, tears pricking at the edge of his eyes.

"And the only thing I have left to say is that I wish I could have been there for her. Elle, I love you so much, and I hope you always know that."

It was far too sunny outside for the day of her funeral.

Steve hated it. He stood in the front row of seats, his fists clenched as they lowered the casket. Lottie sniffled next to him as Natasha wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Tony looked away on his other side. The rest of the attendees cleared after the first toss of dirt; all of them wanting to get out of the South Texas sun and into the air-conditioned church.

Steve took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, saying something to the man holding the shovel. He took it, gripping it tightly as he dug into the pile next to him, shoveling the dirt into the grave before him. There was a movement across from him as Tony took another shovel and helped him.

For a while, there was only the sound of falling dirt and branches rustling in the slight breeze that disturbed the silence. Eventually, the mound of earth had diminished, and the two men slouched, exhausted, against their shovels. Lottie was still sitting across from them, her eyes unable to leave the grave they had just filled in. They stayed silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Tony moved to get into the open car door, intent on getting back to the hotel for a hot shower and cool sheets when he was stopped by a hand gripping his wrist. He sighed, turning back to face Steve, Natasha close behind the blonde super soldier.

"What is it?" He asked, fully expectant of Steve to respond with news of some otherworldly threat.

"We need to talk," he responded, keeping his voice low as his eyes checked around them.

"About?"

Steve sighed. "You can't tell me you don't find this whole thing a little strange."

Tony let out an exasperated breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took his sunglasses off. "Look, it's been a long day. If you want to talk about this in the morning, over lots of coffee and maybe pancakes, then let me know. Otherwise-"

"Dammit, Stark, you think this is a joke? I'm being serious." Steve hissed, his frustration with the billionaire seeping through. "Elle is dead."

His voice wavered slightly, and Steve ran a hand through his hair as he looked away. Tony looked at the grass beneath his feet, swallowing hard. Knowing she was gone was one thing, but hearing it said, the words actually being in the atmosphere, made it so much more real.

"And I don't think it's as simple as a car wreck. You and your mother don't go missing for over a month and then both turn up dead in a car wreck in the same city that everyone's been looking for you. Something doesn't fit."

"You're right." A new voice made its way over to them, and the two men looked up to see Lottie standing a few feet from them. "Something's fishy about the whole thing, and I'll be damned if I let my best friend get chalked up to the result of an unfortunate accident."

Steve and Tony exchanged glances as she took a few steps towards them. Natasha sucked in a breath as she waited for their reaction. Lottie rolled her eyes at the Avengers.

"Look, just because I don't have super strength or billions of dollars doesn't mean I can't help."

Steve finally nodded. "Then let's find out what happened to our girl."

Elle winced as an exposed wire came into contact with her fingertip.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, trying not to say it too loud, the curse becoming more of a mumble.

"Everything okay?" he asked her, subtle concern lacing his tone as he asked the question.

She glanced up at him, but his face was turned towards the guard, hiding the expression on his face. She returned her focus to the open paneling in front of her.

"Fine. Just… have to… finish it off…. Andddd… Voila!" Elle said triumphantly, James's arm whirring slightly as she inserted the latest prototype into the slot.

He blinked before moving his arm around, his gaze transitioning from her to the arm as he rotated it. She drew in a breath, holding it while he stood to have more room. He turned, the arm rotating at the shoulder while he swung it, his fist clenching and unclenching as he did so. He turned to her, the edges of his mouth beginning to curl up as hers broke into a grin. Their excitement was cut short by a series of grinding noises followed by the arm beginning to spasm. It fell limply to his side and Elle groaned, placing a hand on her forehead in frustration.

James' mouth returned to its usual firm line, and he watched her as she muttered to herself, running her hand over her face before she sighed.

"Alright, come back over here," she said, loosening her hair from the bun towering on top of her scalp.

He obliged, sitting in the stool next to her. She placed a hand on his bicep, giving herself a semblance of leverage as she pried open the paneling. A puff of smoke escaped as it opened, and Elle waved a hand in front of her face, coughing slightly. She grimaced as she pulled out the chip she had previously inserted, holding it up between them so he could see the blackened piece. They exchanged glances and she grabbed the recorder next to her, holding down the button as she examined the chip closely.

"Prototype eighteen is a negative. Got fried within two minutes, causing irregular movement and functioning. Caused-" she turned to James, touching his leg softly as her face expressed sudden concern. "It didn't hurt you, right?"

"No, I'm okay," he replied, dipping his head slightly as he stared at the hand resting on his knee. She sent him a soft smile before continuing her report.

"No pain. Possible fixes include changing the circuit patterns on sections 13 and 7. Not sure what made it short, but I may be able to-"

She was cut off by Rumlow stalking through the door, a guard behind him.

"Time's up. He has training."

Elle rolled her eyes in irritation, but her expression softened at James' fingers brushing over hers in reassurance. They held each other's gaze for a moment before he stood, moving to follow after Rumlow. Elle chewed her lip as she watched them leave, standing suddenly as a thought came to her mind.

"Wait!" The three men turned to look at her, and she pulled her hands together, wringing them.\

"Can I come?"

Rumlow scoffed dismissively, beginning to turn away when she spoke again.

"No, really! I-I need to see how his arm moves while it doesn't have its complete tech and seeing how it responds to intense physical demand would be really valuable-"

"If it will make you shut up, you can come watch him train," Rumlow finally said, aggravated with the blonde girl in front of him.

She sent James a bright smile. He sent her a small one back, not sure if he was glad that he would be able to see her for longer or worried of what she would see.

Lottie sighed, suddenly feeling very tired as she wrapped her hands around the large cup of coffee in front of her. The rest of her party looked equally defeated and exhausted. Steve was digging a hand into his temple, presumably trying to rub away a headache. Tony was slouching next to him, his arm strewn across his eyes as he mumbled something to himself.

The sounds of clinking silverware filled the silence in the small diner, and Lottie stared at her wavering reflection in the dark liquid in her cup. Natasha rested her head on the back of the vinyl booth she was in, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Okay, can we just- can we walk through it one more time?" Tony finally said, removing his arm from his face as he sat up, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What's the point? You're getting the same information," Steve replied irritably, his hand moving from his head to the bridge of his nose.

"No. No, no, no. I have to be missing something. We have to be missing something. Last time. Then we'll be done," Tony said, shaking his head and rubbing his chin as he pondered the story he had been told.

Steve, Natasha, and Lottie exchanged glances, but Steve sighed and straightened in his seat as he took a drink of water.

"She missed work on Monday, which was December 2nd. Her neighbor said she heard some noise, but thought it was just Elle going to work late. Her apartment was clean, but there were a few signs of a scuffle. Forensics couldn't find us anything. I found a few leads, mostly dead ends, but the last one I had was her phone. Lottie was the last one she called, and the GPS shows her last location as the corner of 39th and Jefferson. And that's it. That's all of it."

Natasha finally looked at the man across from her. "The last footage of her on S.H.I.E.L.D. cameras is on that Saturday before she went missing. No one was following her, and she came in and went out without any unusual encounters. Same as always; same as every day that week."

"And that call to me was a video chat. She seemed totally fine, just how she usually is. If something was going on, she didn't show it. She didn't mention going anywhere that night or any plans other than working on her thesis," Lottie interjected, leaning forwards slightly.

Tony frowned, rubbing his eyes as he processed the information. He muttered something under his breath, keeping his eyes closed as he continued to think. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he pulled out his phone, typing something in.

"Elle's last location – what was it again?" He asked, starting to stand.

Steve furrowed his brow, pulling his suit jacket off the chair behind him. "39th and Jefferson. Why?"

Tony ignored his question, running out the door of the diner, leaving the others to follow him, bewildered.

Elle shifted her weight as she stood behind James and Rumlow, waiting for the door to open. Nervousness had settled itself at the bottom of her stomach, making her anxious as she thought about what she was going to see. She had little time to dwell on it as the door finally swung open and she was ushered inside. She was pointed to a space in the corner with a stool, which she sat on as a few more guards filtered into the room.

She was allowed a notebook and pen, her tape recorder still in her pocket. She made a few preliminary notes while the guards prepared themselves, stretching and warming up for the training session. James sat quietly on the side, saying and doing nothing as he watched the guards.

He let his gaze flicker over to Elle, who was sketching something in the notebook. She scrunched her nose and flipped to the next page. A few curls that escaped her ponytail framed her face and she brushed them to the side only for them to fall back into place. He smiled, or at least let the edges of his mouth curl up enough to be considered a smile. She was the one person in this place that he could trust to be genuine, or trust at all for that matter. She made him feel like he was human, not like a machine.

She glanced up, catching his eyes and smiled at him before returning her focus to her notebook. She finished writing with a flourish, holding it up so he could see. Good luck! was scrawled across the page in big block letters and he actually smiled, a real one. Her excitement at the show of emotion was cut short as he was summoned to the center of the mat.

Several guards surrounded him, and he clenched his fists, waiting for them to make a move. He heard a movement behind him and turned to block the fist that had rocketed towards his face. James kicked the legs of another guard out from underneath him before ducking beneath another swing. He got into a rhythm, blocking punches and returning some. He felt his mind click into autopilot and his hits got harder.

Elle watched James fight, her attention drawn to his metal arm. IT wasn't completely useless, still able to move to shoulder level even without the chip. She scribbled something down before returning her focus to him. She let herself glance at his face and her heart skipped a beat.

His eyes were cold, calculating. His reflexes were always good, but he was even quicker now, and his punches landed with precision. The warmth of the smile she had dragged out of him earlier was gone and he turned towards her for the slightest second before continuing the fight.

This wasn't James; this was the Soldier, the Asset.

It didn't take long for the rest of the guards to fall, leaving James in the middle of them. His chest was heaving with deep breaths and his fists slowly unfurled. He turned to her and she felt like she was looking at a caged animal, the panic rising onto his face. She stood slowly, holding a hand out in front of her.

"James? James, it's okay. It's me," she said soothingly, stepping towards him.

His eyes looked glazed but remained fixed on her. She continued to him.

"It's just me," she said again, getting closer.

He finally snapped out of whatever trance he had been in and looked at her in horror.

"What did I do?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The door behind them opened, and Pierce stepped through, putting his glasses in his pocket. James kept his eyes on Elle and she did the same, trying to keep him from reverting back to what she had just seen. Pierce cleared his throat when neither of them moved, finally getting Elle to look at him.

"Play time's over. You'll both return to your rooms now."

Elle just nodded, sending one last, long look at James before following Pierce out the door.

"Miss Berkley, I hope that your experience will help you create the technology we need quicker than expected," he said, the sentence more of a statement than a question.

"It did actually. Because I'm not making it," she said simply, continuing down the hallway as Pierce stopped.

He scoffed, stalking ahead to grab her arm. "That is not much of a joke," he said, his voice becoming dangerous.

"It's not a joke. I'm not letting you send him out there just so he can be your puppet and be at your every beck and call," Elle replied, seething at the notion.

He just stared at her before releasing her arm and changing direction down the hallway. She stayed in her place before a guard came behind her and dragged her behind Pierce. They came to a room similar to the one she had first James in and stopped at the door.

Pierce turned back to Elle. "I'll give you one more time to change your mind."

Elle shook her head, furrowing her brow. "I'm not letting you do that. He's a human being. He doesn't deserve that."

He nodded at a guard and the door opened, Pierce stepping inside as Elle was taken with him. Her mother was sitting against the wall, and Pierce came to a stop in the middle of the room. He looked at Elle and her mother before pulling a gun and pointing it at her mother. Elle's eyes widened as she realized his intentions, and she pulled away from the guard's hold.

"No, please don't!" She cried, reaching a hand out towards Pierce.

A thunderous bang sounded through the room, and everything went silent except the ringing in Elle's ears. She screamed but nothing came out as she fell to her knees, tears flowing down her face. She crawled towards her mother's body feeling like she was going to be sick. Blood pooled on the concrete, and it seeped into Elle's clothes and hands as she reached for her mother, pulling her head into her lap as she stroked her hair. Her mother's eyelids fluttered, and she squeezed Elle's hand, giving a weak smile before falling limp.

Elle couldn't breathe.

Her lungs restricted, and she continued sobbing violently, her chest aching. Tears ran down the tip of her nose, dripping onto her shirt as she wept. She brushed her mother's hair away from her face and bent down to kiss her forehead, holding her mother close to her.

A hand wrapped itself around her upper arm and pulled her up, while another hand untangled her from her mother. She screamed again, kicking at the person behind her but succeeded only in wearing herself out more. She was carried through the hall, her cries ringing against the cinderblock, only stopping when she was pushed into her room. She turned her back against the door, sliding down as her lip quivered, bringing more tears with it.

She fell asleep like that, her distraught appearing in the nightmares she had that night.


	9. Chapter 9

Her eyes were swollen.

From crying, stress, or lack of sleep (perhaps a combination of all three). Elle had to blink several times before her eyes finally cooperated and opened, allowing her to see the dark room in front of her. She shifted, wincing at the stiffness in her back. As she stood and went to change into a cleaner set of clothes, the room began to spin. She stumbled, putting a hand on the wall as she steadied herself against it. A sudden flash of what had happened just a few hours before suddenly came into her mind, and her legs gave out beneath her, causing her to crumple to the floor.

Elle suddenly found herself gasping for air, her chest constricting in pain. She stayed in that position, letting tears drip onto the floor underneath her until there was a pounding at the door. It opened without her consent, revealing Pierce and two guards. He gave her a cold look, towering over her as he stared.

"It's time. Let's go."

Elle made no move to get up, not even sparing him a glance. He motioned to the men next to him and they squatted next to her, gripping her arms and pulling her to her feet. She let herself go limp, forcing them to carry her down to the lab she spent her days with James in. She was roughly shoved inside, the force pushing her to the ground. The door echoed as it shut behind her and she remained on the floor until it opened again, heavy footsteps approaching her before stopping next to her head. She kept her eyes facing the opposite way, not moving her head towards whoever was next to her until hesitant fingers rested on her shoulder.

She turned towards the source of touch, her hazel eyes meeting his cerulean ones. They narrowed at the sight of her reddened eyes and the bruised, purple rings underneath them. The concern written on his face made her eyes involuntarily start to water, making his concern turn into slight panic. She looked upwards, trying to pull herself together as she blew a shaky breath out. His hand squeezed her arm lightly, trying to comfort her. She sniffled before the tears finally escaped, running down her cheeks freely. Her hand came up to cover her mouth and muffle her sobs while she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she was strong enough to not have breakdown in front of him.

His arm ghosted around her shoulders, pulling her towards him, his movements unsure even as they happened. Allowing herself a moment of weakness, Elle let a shuddering breath out and buried her face in his chest. James was stiff, not sure how to react to the contact, but he eventually wrapped both arms around her, a movement that seemed familiar despite the fact that it had never happened before. His fingers began drawing patterns in a soothing matter on her back, almost involuntarily.

Simply put, he held her. And he kept holding her long after the tears finished.

To anyone outside of the situation, it probably looked strange. Three Avengers and an employee for an up-and-coming tech company stood outside of Jefferson Federal Credit Union, scanning the area for clues. It sounded like the beginning of a joke. Lottie almost smiled at the notion. Almost.

Steve squinted against the sun as he stared up at the towering building, Tony was muttering something under his breath as he tapped away at the phone screen in his hands, and Natasha and Lottie were standing facing the street, looking for anything that could help them know what may have happened to Elle.

"Hey, how you holding up? I know these past few days have probably been a whirlwind to you," Natasha said suddenly, keeping her attention on scanning the sidewalk they were standing on as she addressed Lottie.

Lottie shrugged. "Nah, it's totally normal to attend your best friend's and her mother's funerals and then fly from Texas to Washington D.C. to investigate what happened to said best friend because you and three superheroes don't believe she's actually dead and want to figure out what really happened. I've done this plenty of times before," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Natasha smirked at the other girl's sass but was cut off in her response by Tony yelling excitedly.

"I got it! November 30th, 2013, the last day Elle's phone was on, it transmitted a GPS signal from this street before it turned off. When you told me the location, I knew there was a bank here. A bank means there's ATMs, and ATMs mean-"

"ATM cameras," Natasha breathed, the realization dawning on her face. How could she not have thought of that before? It was so simple.

"And if I've done this correctly, which I definitely have, because I'm me, then it should…" Tony trailed off, holding his phone in front of him while the others crowded around him.

The video started playing, the time marking it as being taken somewhere around midnight. A few cars drove past, making everyone's breath hitch until they disappeared. The time stamp hit 12:32, and Tony pointed at it. "This is when the last signal went out."

The group tensed as they waited for something dramatic to happen. A dark SUV pulled up, stopping at the curb as the passenger's door opened. Steve clenched his jaw as a man walked up to the ATM. Their hopes to get something more from the video fell short as the man proceeded to get money from the machine and return to the car, the SUV driving off shortly after.

Tony blew out a breath huffily, running a hand over his face as the video continued with no other signs of activity. "Dammit," he said shakily, raking a hand through his hair.

Lottie slumped down onto a metal bench, defeat apparent in her posture. Steve sat next to her while Natasha stood in front of them, her focus drawn to the concrete beneath her.

"So that's it, then? This whole thing was a waste and she really is gone?" Lottie said, not really asking anyone in particular.

Though it was hardly quiet around them (D.C. rarely ever was), the four felt like the air was thick with silence. Nobody looked at each other. Lottie lifted her eye up, focusing on the gray sky above them in an effort to keep herself from crying. Steve stared into space, mulling over every fact again, hoping he could stumble across something they, he, had missed. Raindrops started falling from the ominous clouds hanging over them as tears started rolling down Lottie's face.

10 Weeks Later

Elle sat back in her seat, blowing out a puff of air out from her cheeks as she leaned away from the microscope in front of her. Her newest prototype was finally complete, and she was actually confident about it. Granted, she had been confident about the last five too. She picked up the small chip from the table with a pair of tweezers and placed it in a box next to her, closing it carefully as she stood from the desk, leaving the box on top of it.

She checked her watch and cursed underneath her breath. Dinnertime had come and gone, and her stomach was growling as if to remind her that she was, in fact, starving. Elle made her way to the hallway, letting the door close on the lab behind her as she stepped out of the room. She nodded at a few of the guards who had been decent to her during her time there and avoided eye contact with the ones who hadn't. Her feet seemed to lead her down the hallway automatically, tracing the path that had become familiar to her over the past few weeks.

The guards at the door didn't even spare her a second glance as they opened the door to let her into the room. James stood, tense at the prospect of Pierce or one of the guards coming into his room. His posture relaxed at the sight of her, and he moved aside to let her into his small room. She fished a weathered deck of cards from her pockets and set up Speed on the floor while she waited for him to sit across from her.

It had become a sort of tradition, them playing cards after she felt like she had finished the right prototype. Elle wasn't quite sure how it started, and neither was James, but they didn't question it, letting it become a routine. Elle was grateful for it – she needed some semblance of normality in the concrete and cinderblock prison they were kept in, and the guards thought she was doing extra testing anyways.

The first round usually went by in silence and it almost always ended in James winning. Elle wasn't sure how he was so good, but she hardly ever found herself winning against him. He would always answer her questioning with an infuriating smirk, letting her get riled up as he shuffled the deck.

She frowned at him, crossing her arms across her chest as he laid his final cards down, calling speed. His mouth curled up at the scowl written across her face and he shuffled the deck as calmly as he usually did. James dealt the next hand and they flipped the cards over, drawing new ones as their old ones got put on the pile.

"Penguins," Elle said suddenly, laying a nine of hearts down on top of an eight of diamonds.

James nodded but stayed silent as he put down two tens of spades on top of a jack of diamonds. He picked up two more cards and organized his hand again, scanning the top cards to see if he could put anything down. When neither of them made a move, they flipped new cards over. He placed down another card.

"I'm not really sure why. I just think they're adorable. I used to have this stuffed one when I was a kid," she paused to lay down two cards. "My mom said I would take it everywhere. It fell apart when I was six, and I was absolutely devastated by it. But ever since then, penguins have been my favorite."

She shrugged as she flipped a new card over. James nodded again before laying the rest of his cards down. Elle stared at him, mouth agape. "How!?"

He tried to suppress a smile as she dramatically groaned and tossed her cards to the side. "Once again, I am defeated!"

She threw a hand over her heart. A small chuckle escaped James' lips at her antics and Elle quickly sat up, staring at him. A laugh. She had gotten a laugh. It had taken her months to do so but she had gotten one.

It was gone as quickly as it had come though, and James was shuffling the deck as soon as she had realized what had left his mouth. They fell back into a comfortable silence, the scraping of cards being the only noise in the room. Elle shuffled through her cards, furrowing her brow as she looked for her next move.

"Zebras."

Elle's eyes shot up to look at him and she kept her gaze on his face to see if he would elaborate. When he continued to play, she returned her focus to her hand.

Just like the routine of the cards, they had taken up the habit of giving each other information about themselves when they played. It was never anything major, just little bits here and there. His favorite color was green, he hated pears but loved coffee (even if the only coffee he was allowed was from the mess), and he preferred to shuffle cards overhand rather than riffle style.

It wasn't much, but she felt like she was starting to know him, to see him. Getting past the soldier, the assassin, they had made him and seeing the man he truly was or used to be. Even if it was just knowing what color he liked best.

She always left after an hour and a half, not a minute before or after. He wasn't sure why that time, but the alarm would sound from her watch and she would give him a sad smile and a soft "goodbye", pocket the cards, and knock on the door to for the guards to open it. He would watch her leave, his eyes not leaving the door until a few minutes after just in case she came back.

He had come to look forward to her visits, however sporadic they were. Once she had come for three days in a row, once she didn't come for two weeks. He knew that the more she came, the closer he was to returning to what he was made for, but he almost didn't mind if it meant she would be with him more.

They had yet to talk about the day she had cried in the lab, and he wasn't quite sure if she ever would. He had more or less figured out what had happened between snippets of the guard's conversations that he had snatched through the walls and in the training room. She had acted up, on his account no less, and Pierce had come through with his threats. James longed to tell her something, anything to make her understand it wasn't her fault, but he could never quite get the words out of his mouth. He silently bore her burden with her instead. The guilt ate away at him, but he knew it was so much worse for her.

She had lost weight since being here, almost too much. Her eyes looked much more sunken than they had the first time he met her and the deep purple bags underneath them made them look perpetually bruised. The sparkling green had dulled, though he still liked their mossy color. He saw all of this physical change, but it amazed him how much of her was still left through everything. The way her southern accent seeped through her words, the way that several curls would always escape from being tied back and frame her face, how she muttered under her breath when she was solving calculations in the lab, the way her tongue would poke out from between her lips when she focused especially hard.

She was his breath of fresh air in this place, and he knew thinking of her like that was dangerous. If Pierce ever knew, that would be his leverage against James. But he would be damned if he dragged her into that life. For now, he would just do his best to make sure she stayed safe, and maybe somehow, some way, someday, he could get her out of this place.

"Secure channel seven."

"Seven secure. Did you do anything fun Saturday night?" Natasha asked innocently, looking at Steve out of the corner of her eye to see if there was a reaction.

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so... No, not really," Steve responded, smirking at her as he adjusted his earpiece.

"You really need to start getting out more, Rogers," Natasha said playfully. Her tone suddenly turned serious. "How has it been… recently?"

Steve shrugged, fidgeting with the strap on his glove to seem busy. "The same. Three to four hours. Wake up, hit the gym, review the file, review all my leads, try to sleep but end up running instead."

Natasha placed an unusually gentle hand on his shoulder. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, find out what the hell happened to Elle," Steve threw over his shoulder before jumping out of the plane.

Elle was staring at the ceiling when the lights came on. She blinked several times, allowing her eyes time to adjust before rolling onto her side to where she was facing the wall. There was little to no motivation for her to get up today. She was exhausted, having spent most of her night being jerked awake by nightmares she couldn't quite remember and using the rest of it to stare listlessly at the ceiling. She wished she could lay in her bed for the rest of the day instead of having to run a million and one tests. Her wish was quickly broken when her door swung open and a plate of breakfast was placed on her bed.

"Eat up," Rollins said coldly before stalking out of the room.

She ignored the food and drank the glass of water they had given her before starting on the cup of coffee that was by the plate. Her stomach growled hungrily, reminding her that she hadn't gotten dinner last night. She grudgingly obliged to its demands, ripping a piece off the toast from her plate. She had just finished the slice when Rollins returned to her room, Marshall close behind him. Elle stood and wiped her hands on the back of her pants before following them out of her room and to the testing lab.

James was already in there when she arrived, leaning a hip against the desk they sat at. He straightened at her appearance and she offered him a tired smile before picking up the box that held the chip she had finished the night before. He sat in the chair next to where she was standing with his metal arm facing her. His eyes scanned over her face as she prepared the tools she needed.

"Rough night?"

The question slipped out of his mouth before he could catch it. He turned his eyes towards Elle to try and gauge her reaction. She looked surprised, not that he could blame her. She shook it off quicker than he expected and chuckled dryly.

"You can say that again. I've had worse though," she replied, choosing a pair of pliers and turning towards him.

Her fingers moved deftly as she pried open the paneling and shined a light into the small space, but he noticed that her movements were dragging more than usual. Elle readjusted a few wires before picking up the chip with tweezers and lining it up with the slot. He watched her eyes droop slightly as she worked, and a bubble of concern rose in his chest. Damn it. His plan to loosen the attachment he felt for her was failing by the second.

A swear left her mouth as she dropped the light onto the concrete. He bent over and grabbed it for her, pushing it into her small hand. She smiled at him gratefully before returning her focus to her work. Silence settled over them as she continued fiddling with the chip. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she finally was able to push the chip in, and she closed the paneling satisfactorily.

"Alright let's see how this works," she said, rubbing her eyes before starting the recorder and setting it on the desk.

They went through the usual exercises to test how it worked before coming to the final tests.

"Okay, raise your hand towards the ceiling," she said, biting her lip as she watched his arm lift. "Now rotate it in a circle. Swing it from side to side."

It was working. Actually working. Elle held her breath as she watched him perform the movements.

"Last one. Try doing a few moves and see how you feel about it," she said, stepping to the side to give him more room.

James inhaled deeply before going through a few defensive moves. He swung his arm upwards like he was punching someone before continuing with basic attacks. When he finished, he looked at Elle almost expectantly as he caught his breath. They stared at each other as Elle's eyes widened.

"It worked," she breathed, lifting a hand to her mouth. She laughed breathily, her lips stretching into a smile.

He stared at his arm before returning his gaze to her, giving a smile in return. They stood in happy silence before their triumphant moment was broken by Pierce's entry into the room.

"Well?" he asked, coming to a stop just before reaching them.

Elle cleared her throat, the smile wiped from her face. "It seems to be working, sir."

Pierce nodded, a cold smile creeping onto his face. "Wonderful job, Miss Berkley. Just wonderful," he said before turning to James. "I'll give you a few hours to get… accustomed to your movement again. After that, you have a mission, Soldier."

Elle's blood ran cold at the words, and she looked at James out of the corner of her eye. His mouth was set in a firm line and he wasn't looking at her anymore. When Pierce left the room, he turned back towards her. She was taken aback by the coldness in his eyes, which slowly melted away at her concerned look.

"What kind of mission?"

Pierce had not minced words when he said a few hours. James was sent to the training room two hours after the chip had been proven worthy and now, at five hours later, he was putting his gear on for his first mission since coming out of cryo. He was hardly nervous, the fluttering feeling in his stomach having disappeared long ago, but she was.

Elle had been sitting in the corner of the main room, where they had first met, chewing her thumbnail as she stared at a spot on the floor. She knew it would eventually lead to this, to him getting sent out into the world to potentially, no, definitely, harm someone, but it was much harder to see happen than she anticipated. James was putting on his vest when he turned and looked at her, catching her blank stare.

He glanced at the guards who were outside the room suiting up before taking a few steps towards her. Her attention was caught, and she looked up at him, brows furrowed in worry. He squatted down in front of her to meet her at eye-level.

"You better not die."

The words made him smirk as he let out a low chuckle.

"I won't."

She dragged her bottom lip in between her teeth as she continued to hold his gaze. A guard barked at him from the hall and he sent her a grim look before picking a knife from the array of weapons and slipping it into the holster on his hip. A few guards had guns of various sizes slung across their shoulders as they continued to chat outside. He gripped the goggles he had been given tightly before giving her another look as he walked out the door. She stood and leaned out of the doorway, watching him leave as he continued down the hallway with the group of guards.

She had a bad feeling about this.


	10. Chapter 10

She wasn't quite sure how long he was gone, but she knew the time seemed to pass much more slowly when James wasn't there. Elle had kept herself busy by playing several rounds of solitaire and pacing her small room. A lot. She had heard a bit of a commotion pass outside her door and was summoned to the safety deposit room not long after.

James was sitting in the chair when she came in, an irritated look on his face. Several guards were re-shelving their weapons and a few were nursing minor injuries as the doctor checked them over. She noticed that there were quite a bit fewer here than had left a few hours earlier. Elle pulled a chair and a small tray with her tools up next to James, who continued staring at the wall. She started looking at the various parts of his arm, waiting for him to speak.

"It was so simple," he finally growled, clenching his right fist tightly. "All I had to do was get the target. He outsmarted me. Got away."

Elle pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure if she was more relieved that whoever the target was had escaped the harm that was sure to be done to them or worried of what Pierce would do to James for failing the mission. Instead of commenting on the matter, she continued working on his arm in silence. Eventually, James relaxed, unclenching his fist and choosing to focus on Elle working. She tapped on the paneling where the chip was inserted.

"How'd it feel?"

James nodded at her. "Good."

She smiled, turning to get a tool to open it. "Glad to know at least one thing went right."

They fell back into silence as she inspected the chip, making notes on anything she thought of. Elle reinserted it and closed the paneling, turning to place the tool on the tray next to her. She opened her mouth to speak but the words died in her throat at the sight of an angry Pierce walking into the room. He came to a halt in front of the chair, his jaw clenching as he stared at James.

"What. Happened," he said through his teeth, crossing his arms across his chest.

James kept eye contact, bracing himself for a slap or a punch or something. "The target got away. It won't happen again."

"You're goddamn right it won't," Pierce said coldly. "Because you're finishing it. Tonight."

* * *

 

After the VA visit, he had gone for drinks with Sam.

"So, what's bugging you?"

"I'm sorry?" Steve questioned around his beer.

"Come on man, I can tell something's up. You've got the whole brooding thing going on. What is it, girl trouble?" Sam smiled before taking a sip of his own drink.

Steve chuckled humorlessly.

"I guess you could call it that."

Sam swallowed before clapping Steve on the back.

"Alright man, hit me with it. What's going on? You take her out and she didn't call back?" Sam let out a laugh before waving down a bartender to request another round.

"More like disappeared off the face of the earth," Steve said under his breath. Sam turned back to him, waiting for him to elaborate. "This girl, she's pretty much my kid sister, is just gone. She practically vanished a few months ago and we were never able to find a trace of her. They claimed she died with her mother in a car accident, but something just never added up about it. I've been trying to figure out what happened, but all my leads have gone cold."

Sam's demeanor changed immediately.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, man. Listen, I have a friend in the DCPD, maybe I can pull a few strings and see what he can dig up."

Steve nodded. "I'd really appreciate that."

They had finished their round of beers before departing with a promise from Sam to call when he found something.

Steve pulled up to the apartment parking lot, his head still spinning with the amount of information he had been given today. Fury had shown him just exactly what Elle had been working on the whole time, and it was far bigger than anything Steve could have ever imagined. It was also far more lethal than he wanted to believe.

He greeted Kate in the hallway and her gentle warning that he had left his stereo on made his blood run cold. He changed his course of direction, making his way out towards the fire escape and entering the apartment through the window. Steve grabbed the shield from its spot against the wall and crept around the corner, relaxing when he saw Fury's silhouette slouched in a chair.

"I don't remember giving you a key," Steve spoke first, leaning against the wall.

"You really think I'd need one? My wife kicked me out," Fury explained, grunting as he sat up.

"Didn't know you were married."

"A lot of things you don't about me.

"I know, Nick. That's the problem," Steve said in a clipped tone, moving to switch on the lamp. He narrowed his eyes and felt his mouth drop open slightly. He started to speak, but Fury held up his hand before turning the light back off. He turned his phone screen towards Steve.

_Ears everywhere._

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash."

_SHIELD compromised._

Steve straightened, his posture guarded. "Who else knows about your wife?"

_You and me._

"Just," Fury struggled for a moment before standing, "my friends."

Steve scoffed and shook his head incredulously. "Is that what we are?"

"That's up to you."

He had barely finished his sentence when the wall behind him exploded.

* * *

 

James followed the blonde man's eyes, calculating where his target would be. Finding where he needed to aim, he put his eye to the scope and squeezed the trigger once. Twice. Three times.

_You're finishing it. Tonight._

Watching through the window, he waited until he saw the target getting dragged behind a wall by the blonde before picking up the rifle and the shell casings. He strapped the rifle to his back and shoved the shell casings into one of his pockets, quickly scanning the area as he did so. When he was satisfied that there wasn't any evidence of his presence, he turned and began his descent to where the handlers were waiting for him.

_I don't want any trace left behind._

He heard glass crashing in the distance and knew the blonde man was following him. Sprinting over a rooftop, he glanced through glass paneling and confirmed the suspicion. He pumped his legs harder, faster. Seeing the end of the building, he leapt forwards, falling into a roll before getting back on his feet. He heard the window behind him shatter and then a grunt from the man. There was the sound of something slicing through the air and James skidded to a stop as he turned, catching the shield the man threw at him. He kept eye contact for the slightest moment before hurling the shield back towards him.

_I know you won't disappoint me._

He dropped towards the street below, cracks spidering in the concrete from his landing place. He made his way toward the rendezvous point, pinpointing the van that was waiting for him. A handler shut the back door behind him and he kept himself steady as the vehicle lurched forward. They made their way back to the base, the air thick with silence.

Another handler barked at him to get out as the van came to a stop, and James complied silently, making his way out of the back door and into the shipping area of the bank. Four handlers - two in the front, two in the back - escorted him towards the familiar room. One of them shoved him towards the chair with the barrel of his rifle, ordering him to sit. He complied, pulling off the mask and uniform he had on so the doctor could look at him. In the middle of James' physical examination, Pierce arrived.

"Mission report."

"Target eliminated. Three shots fired. Evidence disposed of."

Pierce nodded, a gleam in his eye. "Good. Very good."

He motioned for the doctor to continue the examination while sending an agent for Elle. The engineer arrived shortly after, her curls sloppily pulled back as she rolled up the sleeves of the sweater she was wearing. She dipped her head in greeting at James as she checked over the outside of his arm. He nodded in response, patiently waiting for her to open the panels. She checked each one carefully, working her way up the same way she had last time.

"Judging by the lack of angst on your face, I'm assuming your mission went well," Elle said with a smirk. "Flex your fingers."

He obeyed, clenching his hand into a fist then stretching out each digit. She nodded in approval before moving to the next panel.

"I got it done. It could have been better," he said, shrugging his right shoulder while Elle continued to inspect the paneling.

She scoffed. "I'm sure it could have, but – bend your elbow – I think you're allowed at least one off day, given the circumstances."

Elle pried open the last panel. Nothing was sparking or smoking, which was always a good sign. She adjusted a chip that looked out of place. "Try to move your arm above shoulder level."

James did as she asked, but she noticed that his arm started whirring when it got past his ear. She frowned, grabbing a tool before shifting the parallel circuits.

"Try again." The arm reacted as it should this time, and Elle nodded with satisfaction before closing the last panel. "Alright, you look good to go. Unless you want to tell me more about the super-secret mission you went on or have any questions for me?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

He tried to think of something to ask, if for nothing else than the purpose of getting her to stay a few seconds longer. She was the only person in the facility that encouraged him to ask questions rather than stay silent. When he said nothing, she looked disappointed and turned to put the tools away.

"I'm pretty sure I killed someone tonight," he blurted. He would wonder later why he had said that, but it was the only thing on his mind. Elle froze.

"What?" Her question came out as a whisper.

He swallowed hard before answering, "That was the mission. Elimination." Pierce had assured him that the mission was for the good of the world, for the order of the world. Something in the back of his head, a niggling little thought, had made him question that reassurance. Now Elle's reaction had his head swimming in doubt. Why had he told her?

Elle steadied herself against the table. Pierce had sent him to murder. While she'd be lying if she said the thought had crossed her mind a few times, hearing confirmation of her fear was worse than not knowing what the mission was. She had thought the brainwashing was bad enough, but this new revelation sparked a rage in her that she could not understand.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered to herself before straightening and turning to the door. James watched her go, knowing that her leaving was the natural thing to do. He silently berated himself again for telling her.

Pierce saw her walking towards him and entered the room. "Ah, Miss Berkley. How is the soldier?"

"You son of a bitch. How dare you? How the hell do you live with yourself?! You take away everything he has, and for what?! So you can have him kill for you?" She stopped for a breath before sneering at an indifferent Pierce. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you have to get someone else to do the dirty work. After all, you're a goddamn cow-"

She was cut off by Pierce's right hand striking her.

"I don't appreciate your tone, Miss Berkley," Pierce said, leaning towards her. "And may I remind you what happened the last time you acted up? Or maybe you need a refresher."

* * *

 

James' chest felt inexplicably tight when he saw Pierce's hand land on Elle's cheek. He had felt that hand before, had the pain blossom in the same location. He ached to move, feeling an unexplainable need to protect her. Pierce had seen him shift and motioned to Rumlow, the burly man training his gun on James while he watched helplessly as two guards dragged Elle away from the room. She screamed, thrashing her legs about, trying to find any way out of the mess she had just made for herself. Pierce cleaned his glasses as he followed behind them.

"Agent Rumlow, your team will be needed soon. I suggest you gear up."

"Understood." Rumlow slowly lowered his gun, waiting to see if James would make a move. When he stayed still, Rumlow called to one of the guards in the hall.

"Keep an eye on him. We'll need him soon enough." He holstered the gun and stalked out, followed by Rollins and three other guards.

James didn't remove his eyes from the hallway Elle had just been taken down.

* * *

 

Elle knew she had screwed up. The deafening silence that had blanketed the room after Pierce's threat told her that much. She had tried to mask her fear, but when two guards had taken a hold of her, she could feel the anxiety rising. Pierce had followed her down the hallway, typing on his phone. The guards pulling her came to a stop outside of her room and she was unceremoniously tossed inside. She crawled backwards as Pierce calmly stepped towards her.

Her back hit a wall and she glowered up at him, breathing heavily. He crouched down in front of her. Elle set her jaw as they stared at each other, neither one backing down. He raised his arm so quickly that she had barely seen it before pain exploded underneath her eye. Strands of hair fell around her face as she blinked rapidly, trying to gather her senses. Pierce's expression remained blank as he grabbed Elle's chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You really do need to learn when to keep your mouth shut," he said to her, tossing her aside. "And as much as I wish I could teach you that lesson myself, I have some things I need to attend to. Gentlemen, I'll leave her in your capable hands. Have some fun now, but not too much. We'll need her soon enough," Pierce said as he stood and left the room.

Elle swallowed hard at the evil look on the guards' face as they closed the door behind them and the click of the lock echoed through the small room.

* * *

 

"Alright, I have a question for you, oh, which you do not have to answer. I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?" Natasha said, fumbling around her words as she tried to figure out a way to properly formulate the question she wanted to ask.

"What?" Steve asked irritably.

"Was that your first kiss since 1945?"

Steve let out a low, humorless chuckle. "That bad, huh?

"I didn't say that," Natasha responded defensively.

"Well, it kind of sounds like that's what you're saying."

"No, I didn't. I just wondered how much practice you've had," she smiled, watching Steve for his reaction.

"You don't need practice."

"Everybody needs practice."

"It was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm ninety-five, I'm not dead," Steve retorted, shaking his head.

Natasha gasped, "Was it Elle?"

Steve turned his head towards her rapidly, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter at the question. "What the hell? No, it was not Elle! The kid's practically my baby sister!"

Natasha let out a laugh, a real one. The humor slipped from the atmosphere of the car.

"Has she… Have you…"

Steve sighed.

"No. Pierce mentioned that her name had come up when they traced the wire to Batroc, but I don't think that it's possible. I know Elle. She wouldn't have been involved in that."

"I don't think so either, but you have to admit that it's strange she went missing just a little bit before S.H.I.E.L.D. started sending us on more retrieval missions. Especially since all of those missions now seem connected to whatever the hell is going on here," Natasha said, choosing her words carefully as to not sound accusing.

"So, what, you think she's part of this mess?" Steve tried to keep a cap on his temper, but he was high-strung after the last few days.

"No, I just…" Natasha trailed off. "Have you thought about calling Tony? Maybe he has some new leads or ideas that-"

"I'm not calling Tony. Fury said not to trust anyone. Right now, that means everyone outside of this car is a potential enemy. I don't know how deep this goes yet."

Natasha just nodded in answer, turning her gaze out the window. Steve released his overly tense grip of the steering wheel. He just needed to find out what the hell was on this flash drive, and then he could go back to finding Elle. He blew out a breath and slowly brought the car to a stop in front of the fort's gates.

"Let's go."

A/N: Hi everyone! Wow, this is my first author's note on here! I really appreciate the love that Short Circuit has been getting and wanted to introduce myself! I am thequeenofgeeks, and this is my first story on AO3! Hope you are all enjoying it :) Anyways, please comment below and let me know what you think! Cheers!


	11. Chapter 11

James wasn't quite sure what the flurry of activity was for. Guards had whispered to each other the past two hours or so, but it wasn't until Rumlow came to his cell that it was revealed that he was to go out.

He hadn't undergone the routine pre-mission physical, so he knew it was something to do with recon or a briefing of sorts. It almost disappointed him; he looked forward to his meetings with Elle, and his worry for her only grew with the amount of time that passed without him seeing her after she was taken. He listened while pulling on his uniform as Rumlow gave him the information he needed. His protective goggles were left behind in favor of camouflage paint smeared around his eyes. They had driven him to the drop off point, ordering him to return when he had finished the rendezvous with Pierce.

The woman that had been cleaning kept her back to the door and had headphones in, making it almost too easy to slip inside and into the shadows. He placed a gun on the table and sat in a chair across from it, waiting for Pierce. He had come into the kitchen 10 minutes later, not noticing James until he turned away from the fridge with a carton.

"I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?" The woman called from the other room, pausing to hear his response.

"No. Uh...it's fine, Renata, you can go home." Pierce didn't remove his gaze from James'.

"Okay, night-night."

"Good night." The door slammed shut and Pierce finally spoke to him. "Want some milk?"

He stayed quiet, knowing the offer was not a genuine one.

"The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Two targets, Level Six." Pierce poured himself a glass of milk and moved over to join him at the table. "They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours." He heard movement and flicked his eyes up to see the woman standing in the entry of the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mr. Pierce, I... I forgot my phone." She nervously glanced at James, making him shift, uncomfortable with the way her eyes darkened with fear. Pierce sighed, resignation in his voice as he spoke.

"Oh, Renata. I wish you would have knocked." Pierce picked up the gun from the table and fired off several shots before returning to his conversation with James.

"The team will go with you. Get it done." James nodded and moved to leave before Pierce's voice made him stop. "And take out the trash when you leave."

He grabbed the glass and headed towards his bedroom, leaving James to stare at the woman's body. She hadn't needed to die. He grit his teeth as he went to pick her up. She was innocent, had done nothing wrong except forget something. But Pierce had killed her. Had she even seen him? Had she known who he was? How could she have? He wasn't supposed to question things like this. He was supposed to do as he was told, be the perfect soldier. Not soldier, weapon.

But she hadn't needed to die.

* * *

Everything hurt.

That was the only thing going through Elle's mind as she laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to move, didn't want to breathe, didn't want to think. Anything she did sent fresh pain sparking up and down her body.

She squeezed her eyes shut. No. She wouldn't give up. Wouldn't die here, in this place. Pierce may have thought that he had broken her, but he had only made her resolve stronger. Elle heard the door creak open and a guard appeared at the foot of the bed. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pain that knifed through her.

"We need you to clear him."

Elle stood, trying not to limp as she followed the guard to the room that had become quite familiar to her. James sat on the chair wearing black cargo pants and a shirt that was only long-sleeved on the right arm. She approached him carefully, not sure if he knew that she was in the room with her.

"Are you ready for me to check your arm?" His head twisted towards her at the sound of her voice and his eyes widened as a glimmer of surprise flickered over his face. She grimaced, knowing if her appearance was bad enough to surprise him, then it must look even worse than she thought.

"You should see the other guy," she said, smiling as she tried to lighten the mood. He set his jaw and his mouth pressed together in a thin line. She winced at his expression and motioned to his left arm.

"May I?" She sat down to check the panel when he nodded, making tiny adjustments here and there as she felt his eyes burning into her.

She looked like hell. One of her eyes was blackened, a cut ran across the bridge of her nose, another on the line of her cheekbone, her lower lip was swollen and split, and bruises trailed from her forehead down to her neck. And that was only the things he could see. She had favored her right leg when she walked in, and her breathing was more labored than usual. Her punishment was his fault. He was the one who had told her what he had done, and she had gone to confront Pierce because of it. And even after all of this, she didn't seem to blame him.

She had made a joke, tried to get him to smile. She probably thought he was upset with her. He wasn't. He was upset with himself. Even more than that, he was upset with Pierce. Her appearance had sparked something inside of him, something vengeful. Something angry. He watched her as she worked, trying to decide if he should speak or not. She glanced at him, giving him a small, grim smile before returning her focus to the arm. She quietly asked if she could see the next panel and he stretched his arm out so it would be easier to open. She dipped her head in thanks and they returned to silence.

He knew he had another mission. The doctor had come before Elle, poking and prodding and writing things down on a clipboard. He never felt at ease with the doctor like he could feel with Elle. Did he trust her? Not completely, but, then again, he didn't know if he could ever trust anyone completely. Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Can you move everything?"

James flexed his arm, rotated the shoulder blade. He nodded at her and relief swept over her face. She seemed hesitant for a moment before returning the tools to their proper places on the table. She picked up the tray, walking towards another table at the far end of the room when her foot caught the edge of the foot of a chair. The tray flew out in front of her, clattering to the ground, and Elle braced herself for the same fate. She hadn't fallen. A tight grip was wrapped around her right hand and she turned to see James with his right arm, his flesh and blood arm, outstretched, the hand connected to it encasing her right wrist and part of her hand. He had caught her. His eyes flitted across her face, asking if she was alright. She smiled, pressing her hand into his as she steadied herself.

"Thank you."

He had nodded again, dropping her hand swiftly when Rumlow came to the door. He motioned towards James.

"What's his status?"

"He's cleared." Her voice was cold, stiff; the light that he felt from it a few minutes before vanishing.

Rumlow nodded and turned towards him.

"Gear up. We roll out in 10."

James stood, crossing to the other side of the room. He pulled on the dark leather jacket that covered his shirt, buttoning it up and readjusting the sleeve on his right arm. He strapped the gun holster across his chest and pulled on the utility belt before he realized she was watching him still. Her eyes met his as she chewed on her bottom lip. She glanced nervously at the door before stepping over to him, making James take a step forward to meet her. Elle sighed as she looked up at him.

"Just… Don't die." She gave him a slight smile at her repetition of the demand she had given him last time and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a small smirk at their inside joke.

"As long as you stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

She rolled her eyes but she failed to stop a smile from breaking through. Elle pointed at his arm. "And don't break that thing either, it'll be a pain to fix."

His smile widened before he heard footsteps coming towards the room. They both took a small step back, and Elle crossed her arms nervously. James gave her one last look before following Rumlow out. She watched them go, not moving until a guard came to pull her back towards her room.

* * *

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks."

"So why don't you try sticking a cork in it," Sam retorted, tiring of hearing the man speak.

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here," Natasha cut in, a small smirk gracing her face at Sam's annoyance.

"I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly," Steve responded, a plan already formulating in his mind.

"Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea," Sitwell said, going silent as a thud sounded above him. The occupants of the car turned towards the source of the sound before Sitwell was ripped out of the car and thrown across the median. Natasha's eyes widened at the gun in the assailant's hand, moving a split-second before the bullet pierced the roof of the car. She leaped into the front seat, pulling Steve's head towards her and away from the second shot. She stuck her foot behind Sam, pushing him away from the final bullet. Sam stopped the car, throwing their attacker into the street. They all stared at the man in front of them, a wicked gleam coming from the silver arm that he had used to stop himself. He stood, facing them.

Natasha pulled her gun, cocking it when the whole car was sent shooting forward. The Soldier flipped over them with ease, ripping the steering wheel from Sam's hands before jumping back towards the Jeep that was following them. The car swerved towards the median and Steve grabbed his shield, pulling Sam and Natasha on top of him.

"Hang on!" They crashed to the street below, sliding on the car door. The car flipped several times in front of them. It all went to hell after that.

James took the missile launcher from the handler. He used three shots quickly: one for the blonde man, two for the redheaded woman. She didn't reappear after flying off the bridge, making him cross her off his list. Taking the AR from the handler's outstretched hand, he searched for the shield that the blonde man had been holding. Locating it, he aimed at the overturned bus, but bullets came from below, cracking the glass of his goggles. He retreated, taking cover behind the concrete. The woman had survived. He pulled off the goggles, the right eye cracked beyond repair.

Frustrated, he threw the goggles behind him before firing wildly at the spot the woman had been a moment ago, finding from a new shower of bullets that she had changed position. He ducked behind the wall again, waiting for the shots to stop before locating her again. He shot off a few rounds, not wasting ammo when he moved out of range.

"She's mine. Find him," he instructed in Russian, throwing himself off the bridge and crushing the car below as he landed. He strode forward in the direction the woman had run away in, intent on getting this mission done in the first try.

* * *

James' ears pricked as he heard the redhead's voice. He knew the best way to draw her out would be the bomb that he rolled underneath the car, and he raised his rifle to his shoulder, waiting. An explosion followed soon after, but the woman failed to reappear. Confused, he lowered his gun slightly, then dropped it all together when she unexpectedly attacked from above and behind. She straddled his shoulders and James barely had the time to catch the wire she tried to strangle him with. He backed up, hitting a car and using the force to flip her off him with his mechanical arm.

He went for the gun that she had kicked out of his hands, but she threw a small disk that attached itself to his metal arm. It sent a jolt of electricity up the appendage and he ripped it off as quickly as possible, trying to save his arm from being short circuited. He clenched his fist, making the panels slide together and recalibrate. James swung the arm once to make sure it was still functional before stalking off in the direction she had been running towards.

He moved around the corner, seeing her sprinting away from him and waving the civilians off the street. He lined up the shot through the windows of the cars around them, pulling the trigger before moving towards her location. The woman fell behind a car, gasping as she looked for him, waiting for him to come up on the right. She turned at the sound of him leaping onto the car behind her, but his shot was interrupted when the blonde man returned, running up next to James. He rotated to face the blonde, throwing a punch right as the man lifted the shield to meet it. The man was sent flying from the car before James shot the last rounds in his clip.

James let out a grunt as the man kicked his handgun away, making him pull his final gun. He got four shots off, then threw it away as the man hurled his fist, landing a hit on James' face. Frustrated, he grabbed the man's shield before he got hit, holding it in place as he delivered blows to the man's abdomen. He pulled the metal from the blonde's arm, using it against him before getting rid of it altogether, flinging it into the back door of a nearby van.

He pulled his knife as the man charged him. Twirling it, he sliced at the man, but the target kept dodging the attacks. Block, swing, parry, dodge, stab, block, swing, parry, dodge, stab, swing, swing – he was hit. He barely registered it before the man kicked him back against a vehicle.

James' adrenaline was pumping. None of the guards had ever been able to hold up against his attacks like this, and they had certainly not come back for more after receiving a blow. It was like an unending dance; each twirl, each step, each move in rhythm. The blonde got the upper hand for a split second, using the shield he had pried from the van to stop James' metal arm, painfully grinding it into the space between panels.

Elle was  _not_  going to be happy with him.

It was that small thought, a tiny slip in his concentration that allowed the blonde man to flip James over his shoulder. He fell into a roll, losing his mask in the process. He heard the blonde shift and turned to face him, to finish the mission. The blonde man straightened, looking stunned as confusion washed over his face.

"Bucky?"

James had never heard the name before, but there was something familiar about it. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. The blonde disappeared, replaced by a much smaller man, calling out to him with the same name. He hesitated for less than a moment.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

He raised his gun, ready to finish the man in front of him when the other man from the bridge flew in and kicked him down. He held onto the gun, rolling a few feet away before jumping back to his feet. He glowered at the blonde man, who now seemed so familiar. He hesitated again, longer this time as he tried to place the memory. Every time he grasped at it, it dissipated, floating further into his mind.

Refocusing on the mission, he raised his gun for the second time, but he had waited too long. The woman fired a missile at him. Knowing he couldn't afford to be there any longer while he was exposed, James took advantage of the cover and disappeared. He couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in his stomach, couldn't understand how he just knew that he knew the man.


	12. Chapter 12

Elle woke to someone shaking her. She slowly blinked her eyes open, the face of a guard coming into focus. He stood when she stirred, sitting upright and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Half past five. We need you."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, shivering at the cold floor that greeted her. The shoes by her bed were pulled onto her feet and she stumbled out the door, still partially asleep. She hardly needed a guide; the path to the room where James was had become etched in her mind. Elle pulled the sleeves of her sweater down, covering her hands as she was ushered into the room. She frowned as she realized he wasn't there and voiced her confusion to the guard that had brought her.

"They're on the way. Prep the room," he announced curtly before pulling the door shut behind him.

Elle let out a huff before bringing a stool over to the table she always sat next to. The tools she had dropped earlier were still littering the ground and she gathered them, inspecting each one as she put it on the tray. She had been disinfecting the pliers when the door had swung open, followed by the appearance of several armed guards, James, and the doctor. She stood, twisting to face them when the doctor started pushing in front of her. He hardly noticed the scowl she threw at him as he grabbed the clipboard and pen.

Elle finally got a look at James after the activity around him settled, the huddle of scientist and agents slowly dispersing. Small bruises and cuts peppered his face and his right cheekbone looked swollen, but the thing her focus was drawn to was the frustrated confusion in his eyes. He followed the doctor's commands in a daze, his posture stiff as the doctor examined him, his eyes never changing from their glazed state. She looked away when he removed his shirt and vest, her cheeks tinging pink. The doctor scribbled something on the paper in front of him, muttering to the guard next to him. He stepped away from James, nodding at Elle before making his exit. She was moving towards him before the doctor's footsteps had completely faded, gathering the supplies she needed before taking her seat on James' left.

He hadn't acknowledged her presence, even as she had softly called his name. Her eyes dropped to his right hand as she silently debated whether or not to reach for it. She said his name again, louder this time. When he had no response, she gradually worked her hand towards his, hovering over it as she watched his eyes. She slowly lowered her fingers to the back of his hand, waiting for him to pull away. When he didn't, she started to trace her fingers over his, calling his name again. It worked that time, as he had turned his face towards hers, brows furrowed. She wondered if the rush of relief she felt at his lack of rejection showed.

"Everything okay?"

He flexed his jaw, turning his head back towards the floor.

"I… I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" The look on his face made Elle think he did. "Or we don't have to talk, I can just work on you while you think it over."

"It's gonna take a while anyways. Didn't I tell you not to break it?" she said jokingly, hoping to get him to crack a rare smile at her false indignance.

He offered a half-hearted smirk, but remained silent, prompting Elle to begin her work on the damage. Pulling the small welding torch, she undid the panel completely, reforming the pegs that connected it to the others. James watched her as she worked, though she doubted it was because of an interest in what she was doing. He searched her face, like he was looking for something there.

"I knew him." Elle returned her attention to him, the torch flicking off as she removed her finger from the switch. It was her turn to look confused as her brow furrowed.

"You knew who?"

James winced, putting his hand to his temple like his head hurt.

"The man… on the bridge. He-" James hesitated, the crease between his brows getting deeper. "He called me Bucky."

The torch clattered to the ground. The noise, amplified by the silent room, could have easily passed as a gunshot. Elle edged closer to him, her eyes flickering across his face.

"Do you know that name?" She asked him, her eyes searching for the glimmer of recognition that had come over him when he had chosen James as his name.

He clenched his fist slightly, eyes screwing shut.

_Sergeant Barnes._

"Maybe."

_Bucky, no!_

_Somebody was screaming. Was it that man? The scientist? The soldier? No, it was him. He was falling. It was cold, so cold. Where were they taking him? He didn't want to go with them. He was so tired._

"James." Small fingers grazed his hand and he responded by unfurling his fist. The hand slipped into his, pressing gently against it. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing Elle's concerned face in front of him.

"Where'd you go?" The question came as a whisper, her eyes meeting his, worry radiating from them. When he didn't respond, she pressed in closer, eyes still on his. "Do you know who the man on the bridge was?"

He shook his head, pressing his lips together. "No. I don't know. Maybe."

She chewed on her lip, glancing nervously at the door. She knew the risks were high, but she wanted to tell him.  _Needed_  to tell him. He deserved that much from her. She took a deep breathe.

"Your name is James Barnes. That man on the bridge- he was your friend. Before all of this."

_James Barnes. Bucky Barnes. Sergeant Barnes. There were so many names._

" _The procedure has already started." His eyes were bleary, but he could make out the whirring of the saw blade, the cracking of his bone. "You are to be the new fist of HYDRA." The man got too close to him, and he reached out, squeezed his throat. It was a warning – telling them not to get too close. The small man had smiled at him as he pressed the needle into his leg, making the memory grow dark._

" _Put him on ice." He didn't want to be in this case, it made him feel trapped. He was scared. What were they doing to him? Everything was cold again. He reached out to the glass, seeing his reflection in the frosted glass as time stilled. Why couldn't he move? He was so, so tired. Everything was going numb. His eyes were heavy._

His eyes shot open, his chest heaving with each breath. Elle stepped back, her eyes full of worry. She had never seen him like this. He looked scared – no, he looked terrified, but his eyes were on fire. He looked right through her, not even noticing her anxious expression.

"James, listen to me. You're not there. It's not real." She spoke softly, keeping an eye on the guards in the hall. The one by the door had yet to make a move, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he realized that James was getting anxious. Hesitantly, she lifted a hand to his cheek.

"You're here. I'm here," she murmured, trying to get him to return to the present. His head snapped towards her voice, his eyes lightening as he focused on her words, his hand coming up to cover hers. She continued with her reassurances until he relaxed, his posture loosening slightly, no longer painfully tense. She gave him a soft smile as he came back to the moment. Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Step away from him. I said, get back!" The guard from the door had his gun pulled, trained at James as he pushed Elle away from him. "He's not stable, you can't trust him."

He didn't know if it was the guard pushing Elle or telling her not to trust him that irked him more. What he  _did_  know was that he was pissed, and he needed to take it out on someone. He threw his arm up, knocking the gun from the guard's hand before sending a punch towards his stomach, sending the man flying across the room. Elle whirled to face him, already trying to tell him to stop, but the room had already flooded with guards from the corridor, each of their guns cocked and aimed at James' head. He sat perfectly still, rage still apparent on his face. Elle looked at him helplessly as a guard pulled her out of the room and into the hall to wait for Pierce.

* * *

She had paced across the small space several times, anxiously chewing on her thumbnail. She heard footsteps and stiffened as Pierce stalked towards her, Rumlow close behind. He strode right past her, ignoring the doctor's warning that James was unstable. She had nearly tripped over herself trying to get back in the room before they denied her again. Elle tried to reach James but was stopped by Rumlow's arm. She shot him a defiant look, trying to worm her way past him, but he was strong, and she remained planted in place.

"Mission report." James didn't respond, his eyes on the floor. "Mission report, now," Pierce barked, his tone cold and authoritative. When he didn't get a response, he crouched, trying to make eye contact with James. Pierce answered James' refusal to meet his eyes with a slap. Elle pulled against Rumlow's hold again, but his grip only tightened.

"The man on the bridge, who was he?" James finally spoke, lifting his head to look at Pierce.

Pierce contemplated his words before answering. "You met him this week on an earlier assignment."

"I knew him," James said slowly, letting each word roll off his tongue. Determination rolled over his face as he became surer of himself. "He was my friend."

Pierce narrowed his eyes. It didn't take long to put two and two together and he turned to Elle. The murderous look in his eyes petrified her, but Elle met his glare with a steely gaze of her own. She wondered if Rumlow could feel her trembling. Pierce came closer to her, his face inches away from her own.

"What did you tell him?" His hands snaked around her neck, his harsh grip constricting her throat with each word.

"She didn't tell me anything," James stood, ready to defend Elle from Pierce if the need arose. She shook her head at him, feebly trying to pry Pierce's hands away from her neck. The man finally released her, and Elle crumpled to the ground, coughing violently as she tried to get her breathing back to normal. James took another step towards her, his posture conveying worry instead of the defensiveness from a moment ago.

Pierce had pulled out his phone, his fingers tapping the screen before turning back to face Elle.

"I told you, Miss Berkley, I will not tolerate misbehavior." Pierce calmly pocketed the phone before waving towards James.

"Wipe him. Start over," he said, almost disinterested as he started to walk out of the room. Elle's blood turned to ice as she heard the words, turning to look at him wildly.

"Wipe him? What does that mean?" Pierce ignored her, his figure receding down the hall. She faced a grim-faced Rumlow. "What does he mean? What are they doing?" Rumlow just shook his head, releasing her arm before following Pierce's lead and leaving the room. She looked at James, his face resigned as he met her gaze. "What does it mean," she whispered, afraid of the answer she might receive.

James allowed himself to be pulled towards the chair, his gaze never leaving Elle's. She ran to him, her eyes searching his.

"What are they going to do?" she asked, her voice tight.

James slowly lifted his right arm to her cheek, trying to memorize each line of her face; the freckle on her left cheekbone, the crinkles at the edge of her eyes, the way her lips curved. One of the scientists pulled her away from the chair as the doctor offered James a mouth guard. He took it, clenching it between his teeth as he adjusted his posture in the chair. The scientist turned Elle over to the control of a guard and began typing commands into a screen as the chair James was sitting in suddenly locked his arms in clamps and began to recline, forcing him to lay flat. His eyes met Elle's one last time and her heart ached at the trapped look in them. His chest was heaving, and he clenched his fists, visually bracing himself.

She heard the whirring of the machine and snapped her head towards the scientist at the computer. "What is it doing?" He simply gave her a blank look before pressing a button, causing two panels to encase James' head, electricity crackling between them. He screamed - an inhuman, terror-stricken scream - and Elle ran towards him, only to be caught around her waist by a guard and pulled back towards the hall.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to reach for James. "NO!" His pained cries only increased in volume and frequency, echoing with Elle's screams as she was forced from the room.

* * *

"He's gonna be there, you know?" Sam's voice startled Steve from his memories.

"I know," Steve looked over the water, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop," Sam said, crossing his arms. He wasn't about to let Steve kill himself over this, even if the Soldier was his best friend. From seventy years ago. How the hell had he gone from a VA volunteer to being in the middle of this?

"I don't know if I can do that," Steve said, shaking his head.

"Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn't know you."

"He will."

"And Elle? What if she's wrapped up in this HYDRA mess too?"

Steve set his jaw, looking down at the concrete. "She isn't. She can't be." The firmness in his tone showed that there was no changing his mind on the matter.

"Look, I know this is hard for you-" Sam started, taking a step towards Steve.

Steve took a step back. "There's nothing hard about it. Fury himself told me that she didn't know what Project Insight was. She's not HYDRA. She's  _not_." Steve's voice grew thick at the end of the sentence and he looked away, clearing his throat. He started walking towards the end of the bridge, calling back to Sam over his shoulder.

"Gear up, it's time."

He was going to end this. Take down HYDRA, save Bucky, get Elle out. He was going to find her, even if it took years. He knew HYDRA had her; he felt it, deep down in his gut. And if getting her back took burning HYDRA to the ground, then he would do it.


	13. Chapter 13

She hadn't slept.

How could she, after yesterday? Even after she had been locked in her room, her ears had been ringing with the echoes of James' screams, and every time she closed her eyes, his anguished, painful look played out again and again. A guard had brought her breakfast at the usual time, but it remained untouched at the foot of her bed. Her appetite had long been lost, and she had continued to lay curled up on her bed.

Her door opened without warning a few hours later, Rumlow's heavy footsteps coming to a stop on the other side of her room. She hadn't removed gaze from the spot on the wall that she had been tracing with her eyes. He cleared his throat and Elle finally glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"We need you to clear him before we head out."

She hardly wanted to, but Pierce had not been afraid to follow through on his threats before, and she doubted he would falter now. Slowly, she sat up, tying her hair up and straightening the generic t-shirt HYDRA had provided her with. Satisfied that she was complying, Rumlow walked out of the room and waited outside for her. She slipped on a jacket and followed him out, allowing him to lead her to the room that was so familiar to her by now.

"He's not going to remember you, so don't expect anything," Rumlow had informed her coldly before opening the door for her.

He looked like hell.

Elle knew it was a terrible thought, but it was the only one that came to her mind. Crimson marks that were bruising on the edges mirrored the spots where the machine had covered James' face. His eyes had dark circles underneath them and mirrored the same glazed look from the first time she had met him. She swallowed hard as she pushed up her sleeves, making her steps loud and deliberate so she wouldn't startle him.

"Hello. I'm here to work on your arm. Is it alright with you if I take a look?" she asked, keeping her tone soft. He laid it on the armrest next to him, silent as his eyes stayed fixed on the concrete. Lowering her head, Elle took a seat on the left, feeling a miserable sense of déjà vu.

"Uhm, so I'm going to open this first and double check the wires," she said gesturing to the panel by his wrist with her pliers, hoping he would at least nod for her, like he had before.

A feeling of defeat started its way into her heart, and she began her assessment. Not expecting an answer anymore, she explained each action she did, making her way up his arm as she checked each major panel. She wasn't why she continued to speak, but she supposed it had something to do with the fact that it made everything seem okay, like it was normal; or at least as normal as it could get when they were both prisoners for an underground terrorist organization. She closed the final panel after ensuring the circuitry was intact, her fingers lingering near the spot where the metal ended, and he began. Taking a step back so she couldn't torture herself anymore, she cleared her throat.

"That's all for me. You look good to go. Any questions?" She was grasping for straws now, praying he would recognize her voice, her tone, her.

He didn't. As soon as she had told him that he was good, he had stood, stiffly moving past her to where his gear was. Pierce had come in while he dressed, his fingers flying across the screen of his phone. Elle silently wondered if she had ever seen him without the small piece of technology. She only got to ponder the question for a moment before she was ushered out of the room by Rumlow and Rollins. The former slapped handcuffs onto her wrists before pushing her forwards.

"What's going on?" Elle asked, frowning at the metal biting into her skin. "What's this for?"

"HYDRA's going on a little field trip. Unfortunately, you won't be joining us, so you'll be staying here. The cuffs are to make sure you don't try anything stupid," Rumlow said, his tone bored with having to explain it to her.

Elle narrowed her eyes at the words "field trip", but she hardly had time to dwell on it before she was pushed into an empty room, one that was different than her usual. She turned to the door right as it closed, the lock clicking into place from the outside. Elle huffed, blowing a piece of hair out of her face before leaning her hip against the wall. It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Steve fingered the two chips in the small pouch attached to his belt as he walked with Sam up to the launch deck. All he had to do was place them in two of the helicarrier's main frame with Sam handling the other one so Maria could wipe them out, while Natasha and Fury worked on exposing HYDRA (and S.H.I.E.L.D.) to the world via the internet and see if they could find anything on Elle. And if any one of them failed, people were going to die. No pressure.

His fidgeting got the attention of Sam, who placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping Steve mid-stride.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, you know?"

Steve nodded, his brows knit together. "No. Yeah, I know. We can do this, I have faith in our team." Sam rushed to speak again, before Steve got into another motivational Captain America-esque speech.

"That's not what I meant. I'm talking about Elle; I know you're still stressing out about her."

Steve just nodded again, looking at the ground. "It's just… I've lost people before. And I don't know if I can lose anyone else. Especially her. She- She's just one of the few people who didn't treat me different when I woke up, didn't act like I was some kind of specimen or lab experiment. Like what mattered about me wasn't what came out of the bottle." Steve shook his head, clearing his throat as he clapped Sam on the back before walking onto the launch deck.

"Come on. Let's go save the world."

* * *

Elle took a deep breath, hopping slightly as she looked at the door in front of her. She took another breath before charging at it, tucking her shoulder down right as she hit the door.

"Shit! Holy - Jesus Christ!" Elle swore, her shoulder now throbbing after the impact.

She had  _definitely_  not thought that through and it  _definitely_  felt like she had fractured her shoulder. The blonde girl started pacing, hoping to come up with some other master escape plan. If HYDRA, or at least most of HYDRA, was away from the base, it would be the best and possibly only time to try and escape. Theoretically speaking, of course. The handcuffs on her wrists and the sheer impossibility of getting out of the room she was currently in certainly put a damper on her theory. Not to mention, she really had to pee.

Elle groaned, letting her head hit the wall with a dull  _thud_. She hated her life.

* * *

The man in front of him looked desperate.

That wasn't going to be a problem for him. He knew people got desperate in the last moments of their lives. He had heard people begging for their lives in every language – the pleading look in the man's eyes wouldn't phase him.

"People are going to die, Buck. I can't let that happen."

He remained indifferent, continuing to stare at the man.

"Please don't make me do this."

He lowered his head, keeping his gaze steady with the man's. He waited for the man to make the first move; it would be easier to catch him off guard. He hadn't needed to wait long, as the man's shield came flying towards him. He deflected it with his arm, before using his other arm to shoot at him. It only took three shots before he understood how the man used the shield. He crouched, distracting the man with one gun while shooting at his unprotected side with the other. The bullet grazed, ripping a hole in the man's uniform and he charged, but the man spun quickly and pushed him back with that damn shield.

He pulled a knife, hoping it would be a better choice at such a close range. He swung, but the man countered, and suddenly they were caught in a deadly waltz. There was something achingly familiar about the man's fighting style, but he didn't dwell on it long as he was thrown against the railing.

The man turned, the machine in front of him beeping as he used a gloved hand to punch buttons in. He took advantage of the distraction, coming from the man's side, but he was too fast. They slashed and dodged and ducked and swiped and locked, arm-to-shield. Flexing his arm, the panels came together, giving him the extra bout of strength it took to push the man's shield away. Getting fed up with how long it was taking, he finally tackled the man over the railing, falling until his back hit something solid. He charged at the man, intent on finishing the mission.

* * *

She had tried to unlock her handcuffs, but that plan had failed spectacularly when she could only find a ball of lint on the floor of the room. Elle had decided that trying to break the chain that connected the two cuffs would be much more likely. The only problem was trying to find a way to break it.

The only furniture in the room was a cot like hers. Elle stared at the bed, trying to formulate a semblance of a plan. If she could find a way to try and break one of the legs to where there was a sharp enough point for her to saw at the chain…

She stood from her spot on the flor and walked over to the cot, tilting her head slightly. Maybe she could break it by kicking it?

* * *

His eyes fluttered open, hand instinctively reaching for his gun before he realized the throbbing pain coming from his right shoulder. He pulled it with his left instead, aiming at the man as he ran. His bullet hit lower than he had wished, but the damage was still done. The man fell to his knees, grabbing at the wound as blood trickled out. The man turned back, but soon continued to climb towards the core of the helicarrier.

He shot at him again, barely missing the man's head as it nicked the metal above him. He waited, trying to get just the right shot. The man pulled himself up towards the machine, holding something in his hand. He squinted as he tried to find the perfect angle.

"Charlie..." The man trailed off as the bullet went through his back, stopping at his stomach. The edges of his mouth flicked up ever so slightly, satisfied that he had completed his mission. There was no way the man would survive that much blood loss. The feeling of satisfaction quickly died out as the man pulled himself up, inserting the square they had been fighting over.

"Charlie lock," the blonde gasped out.

He lowered the gun. What had he just done?

His answer came in the form of everything around him falling to pieces.

* * *

The plan had been somewhat successful. The cot had broken after a few kicks and stomps, but none of the pieces were very sharp. She had decided to try and use one of the poles to break the chain instead. Holding the broken piece of metal between her legs and holding it in place with her knees, Elle put the chain around the pole and pulled her wrists toward her.

Instead of breaking the chain, however, the pole came shooting towards her, hitting her square on the nose.

"Son of a bitch!" Elle cried, her hands flying towards the injured appendage.

Luckily, it wasn't bleeding. Unluckily, it was most assuredly bruised. As was her pride.

"I'm an engineer for Christ's sake, I can figure out how to get out of this," Elle muttered, readjusting her position.

She stood, placing the pole on the floor and pulling the chain around it. She stood on the ends, making sure her footing would hold it in place before pulling upwards with the handcuffs. Nothing seemed to be happening before she heard a small, almost inaudible,  _click._

Stepping off the pole, Elle held up her wrists to see one, tiny crack in one of the chains.

"Thank you, Jesus," she breathed.

* * *

The man had signed his death sentence when he had lifted the beam from atop him.

"You know me," the man had insisted.

"No, I don't!" he screamed, throwing a punch at the man.

"Bucky, you've known me your whole life," the man told him again. He hit him again, harder this time. Why wasn't he fighting back? "Your name is James Buchanan Barnes."

_Sergeant Barnes._

"Shut up!"

The man took his mask off, revealing blonde hair and blue eyes that felt recognizable. He couldn't quite place them.

_Bucky, no!_

"I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend." He pushed the blonde man to the ground, cutting off the rest of what he had to say, before leaning in close to the man's face.

"You're my mission." He started throwing punches, making the man's face swell more with each blow.

"You're! My! Mission!" he repeated, trying to convince himself that he didn't know the man, that he didn't know the name Bucky.

"Then finish it." He hesitated, still holding his fist up. "Cause I'm with you to the end of the line," the man sputtered, choking on the last word.

" _I'm with you till the end of the line, pal." He had said that, to the man in front of him. No, the man was much smaller. What was his name? He knew him._

Steve.

He looked at the man as everything came flooding back, his face contorting with horrific recognition. He wasn't quite sure what happened next, he just knew that the man –  _Steve_  – was falling, and he wasn't. Something inside of him twisted at the sight of the blonde sinking into the river, and he knew he couldn't let it go. Couldn't let him go. Before he knew it, he was following the man, diving below the surface of the water and reaching out to him. He pulled him up, gasping and coughing as he came up for breath. He wasn't going to stay with him; he couldn't. He dragged Steve to a clear spot on the riverbank, one where he could be seen from the road.

He turned, walking away from him. Walking away from the blurry memories that were drowning him. Walking away from the undefined past that seemed to keep following him.

* * *

Elle had almost finished breaking the chain when the earth gave a low rumble. She froze, jerking her head up to see if she could hear anything. The hall was silent for a few moments before another rumble came, louder this time. She could hear some of the guards shouting, telling the few left to gather their weapons.

She returned her focus to getting out of her cuffs, her pulling more frantic.

"Come on, come on," she whispered, panic starting to set in.

She gave one large tug before she was flying back, stumbling before hitting the ground. She put her hands out to brace herself and stopped, lifting them up in front of her. If she wasn't in such a dire situation, she would have been laughing with relief at the fact that her hands were no longer tethered together.

Elle stood and crept towards the door, putting her ear to it. The shouting she had heard earlier was dim, the voices further down the hall than before. Heavy footsteps ran by the door before stopping and backpedaling. There was a pause before the telltale jingling of keys sounded, causing Elle to jump back. She shoved her hands together, trying to hide the broken chain as the door opened.

A guard held a gun up, his face wary as he approached her. Elle tried her best to look innocent as the guard glanced at the broken cot. He looked to her questioningly, clearly unamused.

"I have really bad anger issues," Elle said, nodding as she said it.

The guard simply rolled his eyes and ordered her from the room. She stepped in front of him, moving towards the open door before throwing her leg backwards, smiling as her foot landed exactly where she had hoped it would. The guard groaned, stopping in his tracks. Elle turned, knocking the gun from his hands and pushing him backwards with all her might. He stumbled into the wall behind him and she grabbed the gun he had dropped and took off down the hallway.

She was only a step or two away when she heard gunshots and scuffling ahead of her. She dropped behind the corner she had just turned, afraid to look around it. She finally summoned the courage to, only to see two guards lying on the ground. Hearing sounds from her left, she crept further down the hallway, avoiding the fallen guards before crouching behind the wall. She took a deep breath before peeking around it. Her heart caught in her throat.

James was fighting a guard, his metal arm giving off a dull gleam as he blocked a bullet and then slashed at the man with a knife. Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw the guard she had just attacked stumbling around the first corner. He looked at the men on the ground before picking up one of the guns the fallen guards had dropped and starting down the hall. She glanced back to see James storming towards the corner. The guard also saw him coming, turning his aim to James. Fear surging through her, she stood, throwing herself out from behind the corner.

"No!" she screamed, trying to warn James. He paused and looked at her, her sudden outburst catching him by surprise.

The guard also turned towards her, his fingers still wrapped around the trigger. James saw the man pause and launched the knife he was holding into the guard's shoulder.

The guard howled in pain and fell to his knees. James leapt towards him, hands outstretched, but the guard managed to get the shot off before he fell limply to the ground, his neck effectively broken.

James' eyes jerked towards her, fearing the worst as he saw Elle standing there, looking stunned. Her eyes flickered down to her left shoulder, where the bullet had lodged itself. James came towards her as her knees buckled and she slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall behind her. He came up in front of her, his hands immediately applying pressure to the wound. He hardly noticed her other hand, still clutching the gun, move, only paying attention when she cocked and aimed it. She squeezed the trigger as one of the guards inched towards a dropped weapon, but nothing came except an empty clicking sound. Feeling panicky, she pulled it again until James turned and saw the man. He crossed the space between them in a half-second, picking the gun up and firing, the man stilling.

His eyes snapped to her face as she moaned incoherently. Her eyelids were fluttering slightly, and he knew she was both in serious pain and in danger of bleeding out. He murmured her name, lifting one of his hands to her cheek as he crouched in front of her. Her eyes lazily focused on him as she squinted slightly.

"James?"

"I'm here."

"How did you-" she shifted slightly, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment as she grimaced. "-you remember me?"

He looked at her sadly, his thumb running across the length of her cheek.

"I never forgot."


	14. Chapter 14

The halls were eerily quiet. He didn't think he had ever seen them so empty. A moan from his arms caused him to pause in his thoughts, and he glanced down at the person who had emitted said moan.

She was starting to shiver, something that was definitely not good. His makeshift tourniquet would only do so much good, though the blood flow had slowed to a trickle. He silently asked her to hold on, to wait until after he made his last left turn to do anything drastic. He picked up his pace, trying not to jostle her as his legs stepped over and around the few guards that had been unfortunate enough to have been left behind. A door with "INFIRMARY" printed in bold, black letters came into his line of sight. His lips almost parted with a sigh of relief, but he refused to give himself that luxury until she was safe.

* * *

_Hours earlier_

The first thing he noticed was the ringing in his ears. A few blurry figures appeared as he cracked his eyes open, slowly coming into focus as he blinked. They were speaking in low tones, too low for him to make out what they were saying. One of them noticed that he was staring at the group, causing him to turn fully towards him.

"Ah, good to see you return to us, soldier. How do you feel?"

The question was tinged with indifference; a necessary inquiry rather than an expression of concern. He chose to stay silent.

The man removed his glasses, rubbing at a smudge with the edge of his jacket while he muttered something to the man in tactical gear next to him. He had nodded and left the room, leaving the first man standing alone. A short man with a hairline that was nearly invisible entered not long after, his frame adorned with a crisp, white coat and a strange metal object swinging slightly around his neck. The man came closer, picking up a clipboard from a table he had not noticed before as he walked around to his left side. A meaty hand gripped his wrist without warning, sending a wave of panic to wash over him. Something in his head screamed  _DANGER_ and  _ATTACK,_ causing adrenaline to surge through him, the end result being the man in the white coat groaning in pain on the concrete floor.

Several clicking sounds echoed through the room, causing him to look up and see half a dozen guns trained directly at him. The man with sandy hair and glasses was staring at him calmly, analytically. He slowly lifted a hand, the guns returning to their owners' holsters. The lack of weapons aimed at him did nothing to put him anymore at ease.

He had chosen to focus on a spot on the floor where the concrete dipped ever so slightly, not looking up until the door to the room he was currently in opened, two pairs of footsteps entering. He glanced up out of the corner of his eye, seeing the soldier from earlier stepping into the room, followed by a small girl. A mess of blonde curls framed her face as she tentatively walked towards him, her hands never stilling. There was something that seemed  _familiar_  about her, though he couldn't place it. Determined to not get either of them in trouble, he returned his attention to the divot in the concrete.

"Hello, I'm here to work on your arm. Is it alright if I take a look?"

* * *

_Present_

A pair of tweezers clattered onto the ground as James dug through the medical cabinet. He swore, stooping down to pick them up before turning the faucet to _Hot_  on the sink. Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he held the tweezers under it, as well as a needle. He spared a glance at the girl on the table behind him, her ash colored curls fanned out around her head as her eyelids fluttered. James placed the tools he had just cleaned on a clean piece of gauze before returning to the medicine cabinet. He rummaged around once more, searching for the painkillers he knew they would keep.

Finally finding the small bottle, he gave it a shake, relief flooding him as he heard the pills rattling inside. He set the pills on the side table and turned to Elle. Her face was far too pale, and her eyes had stopped flickering open, their mossy green hidden behind her closed eyelids. He put a hand to her face, his thumb tracing the length of her cheekbone as he said her name softly. Her eyes opened momentarily, unfocused and glazed over, before drifting shut again. James repeated her name, louder this time, forcing her to look at him again. He put a hand behind her back and helped her sit up, keeping her steady as she slumped against him.

"I'm going to give you some medicine, okay?" he said, leaning his cheek against the top of her head as she buried her face into his chest. He popped the lid from the bottle and shook out two of the morphine pills, dropping the container back onto the table as he replaced the lid.

He picked up the small cup of water he had filled earlier and lifted Elle's head, tilting it back slightly.

"Here," he whispered, holding the cup to her lips after putting the pills onto her tongue.

She drank the cup quickly and he vaguely wondered when the last time she had had water was. He turned her to where her injured shoulder was facing him, the crimson color of her blood seeping through the gray t-shirt and jacket she was wearing. James grimaced at the realization that he couldn't very well see what he was doing with the clothing in the way.

"Can you sit up for me?" he asked, Elle nodding in response.

He had seen a pair of scissors in the medical supplies when he had searched through them, so he began a hunt for them again, his hands closing around them as he found the metal object. He turned back to Elle, who was obviously struggling to stay awake. James gently explained what he was going to have to do to the drowsy girl, eliciting a nod of understanding. He pulled the jacket from her shoulders before cutting the edge of her sleeve. The fabric had been plastered to her skin with dried blood and she hissed in pain as he pulled it from her. He murmured an apology before continuing to cut at her shirt.

* * *

_Before_

It had clicked with him. Halfway through her working on his arm, he had remembered her name. The letter E had floated around in his mind before he had connected it with the soft blonde curls and the eyes that looked like a forest. He dared not say it, knowing that it was more than likely to get them both in trouble. Instead, he chose to act as he had when she first came in – indifferent and ignorant. She had cleared him a few minutes later and he practically leapt from his chair, intent on getting away from the overwhelming heat of her touch. Her name had released a raging wave of emotions inside of him, emotions he didn't know he was capable of.

He wasn't sure how he remembered, nor did he try to explain it. Instead, he kept quiet, even as the guard had encased her wrists in handcuffs. He knew speaking up now would lead to consequences for both of them. The best way for him to help Elle now would be to finish the mission and get back to her.

He had to get back to her.

* * *

_Present_

"It's gonna hurt like hell, but I need you to stay with me. I'll be with you the whole time, right next to you," James said, leaning his forehead against Elle's.

She nodded once again, though he could see the fear in her eyes. He pressed his lips to her forehead before grasping the tweezers. He pulled the flesh apart slightly, causing the wound to resume the bleeding that had ceased earlier. James carefully inserted the tweezers, twisting them as he searched for the bullet that remained in her shoulder.

Elle was clenching her teeth and a layer of sweat covered her face. He must have moved it wrong because she let out a scream, clapping her free hand to her mouth as she screwed her eyes shut. The ends of the tweezers scraped something, and he wanted to shout with relief as he clamped them around the slug. With some difficulty, he maneuvered the piece of metal out of the entry wound, dropping it on the floor as soon as it was free. He picked up the package that held a piece of gauze and ripped it open with his teeth as he held a hand to her wound, replacing his fingers with the cloth once it was open.

A long strip of medical tape was wrapped around the gauze to keep it in place and James went about the task of tending to his own wounds. He had relocated his shoulder before entering the facility, but there were still cuts underneath his pants and sleeves that needed some attention. He bandaged the serious ones and wiped the minor ones with alcohol to avoid infection. The throbbing in his shoulder had returned once his adrenaline wore off, and he held it up in an effort to ease the pain.

"You're hurt," a soft voice said, and he turned to Elle to see concern lacing her features.

"S'nothing," he said, shrugging, the motion causing him to wince.

"The hell it is," she replied, irritated at his nonchalance. She stood, despite his protests, and half-limped half-walked towards him. Her fingers ghosted over his shoulder, and he found himself unable to look away from her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, causing him to frown.

"What for?"

She shook her head and he could see tears brimming her eyes. "It's my fault. You came back for me and you got even more hurt and now you're stuck with me and I can't even do anything because I'm so goddamn useless with this-" she motioned at her shoulder "-and Jesus Christ, you should have just left me."

He tilted her chin up with his hand, cupper her jaw lightly. She looked away from him, blinking rapidly. "Elle, look at me." She refused, closing her eyes.

"Look at me," he said again, his tone soft. Elle complied this time, her large green eyes now reddened with tears and she sniffled.

"I don't regret coming back for you, you hear me? You were worth all the trouble," he said, licking his lips. "I swore to myself that I would get you out of here, and now I'm swearing to you."

Elle continued to stare at him, though her gaze looked more unfocused as the morphine started to take effect. Her green eyes flickered to his lips briefly before returning to his eyes. He allowed himself the luxury of glancing down at hers, his grip on her chin loosening. James could almost laugh at himself. In the midst of the world going to hell around them, she was able to make him think of doing something as simple as kissing. Instead, he chose to wrap his good arm around her tightly as he lead her away from the infirmary.

If nothing else, he could protect her.


	15. Chapter 15

The first thing that came to Elle's mind when they stepped outside was that it was ridiculously bright. Eye-numbingly bright.

She squinted against it, letting herself become adjusted as James led her towards a nondescript van. He checked behind them as they half-limped towards the door, then did a quick sweep around the vehicle before using his good arm to break the window and unlock the driver's. Ignoring the blaring alarm, he got in and unlocked the passenger's side, pausing to toss the bag of supplies they had swiped from the base into the back. James helped her into her seat before searching the van for the keys, causing Elle to shift in her seat.

"Listen to what I tell you and we can have this thing hotwired in no time," she said, eliciting a nod from James before she continued, guiding him through the basic steps of hotwiring the van. The car alarm faded as the engine sputtered to life, causing both of them to huff a sigh of relief.

He backed the car out from the shipping area somewhat jerkily and, though he would deny it, Elle suspected it had something to do with his injuries. Once they had made it out of the narrow exit, she relaxed lightly in her seat, or as much as her bullet wound would let her. Turning towards the window, her eyes shifted towards the sky. It was a brilliant shade of blue, and Elle's breath caught in her throat at the sight of it. She had imagined the day she would escape from the HYDRA base often, though it had become more of a rainy-day fantasy rather than an actual possibility. The lengthiness of her time there had made her believe that she was never to get out, and that she would be stuck in her dull cinderblock room for the rest of her life. But now, with the robin egg sky above her and the sensation of being in a moving vehicle beneath her, Elle could feel tears starting to cloud her vision. She swiped at her eyes hurriedly, determined not to cry.

A plume of smoke caught the corner of her eye, and she furrowed her brows at it. James's sharp turn around the corner allowed her to see the source of the thick, black cloud. Half of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier - _her_ helicarrier, she realized – was visible above the Potomac's water line. The other helicarriers were nowhere to be seen but she assumed they had met the same fate.

"Wh-what happened there?" she asked, turning to James a bit too quickly, a needle of pain shooting down her side. She grimaced and he glanced at her in concern, returning his focus to the road as she waved him off.

"Long story," was his grim reply, and she was about to prod him for more information when she saw the flashing lights of a police car in front of them.

A barricade was formed across the road where a large hunk of mangled metal was lodged into the concrete. Debris from the helicarrier, Elle could only assume. James slowed the van to a halt, and Elle became very aware of the fact that the only thing hiding the blood that covered both of them were the thin, gray jackets that James had pulled from a storage room. If the cop decided to take a closer look at them, they were utterly and totally  _screwed_.

The uniformed officer waved them forward then placed out a hand to signal them to stop. He strolled to the window and Elle swallowed hard.

"What's going on?" James asked, his voice slightly strangled. The officer nodded at the barricade.

"Debris from today's mess. This road's gonna be blocked off for a while."

"Any detours?" he asked, causing the officer to nod.

"Yeah, just swing this left then take the first right. You'll come out over by the bridge and you can merge onto the highway from there. You folks have a good day," he said, nodding at them before waving them on.

Elle let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and James's grip on the steering wheel loosened.

"Where are we going?" she finally managed as they followed the directions and eventually merged. She had assumed James had just wanted to get away from the base as quickly as possible and didn't quite have an idea where they were headed.

"Not sure," he said, confirming her thoughts as he moved over a lane. "I just know we need to get somewhere away from what happened today. We can't make it much further without any resources."

"Okay. Okay, so we stay in the area for another day or two. Lay low, get what we need and get the hell out," she said, trying to work through their next moves in her mind.

Elle still wasn't quite sure what had happened at S.H.I.E.L.D., but it probably wasn't good and they  _definitely_  needed to make sure they got away from what was left of HYDRA. She shifted in her seat and hissed at the pain that shot through her shoulder, causing James to look over at her in concern.

"We need to get you real medical attention," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "Or at least get the stuff to do it ourselves."

Elle just nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. She let her head loll back and her eyes close as the van continued.

* * *

The closing of the van door woke her, and she sat up with a jolt. It was dark now, but light was pouring into the van from security lights outside of the motel they were parked in front of. She watched as James slipped inside and spoke with the desk assistant, nodding once or twice and motioning outside. He nodded a final time and took something from the young woman's hand before returning outside to Elle. She looked at him expectantly as he got back in the van.

"We have room number eight for the next three nights," he said, holding up a room key.

They made their way to the room with their meager bag of possessions and stopped abruptly when the door opened. A single, queen-sized bed stared back at them, as well as a chair, lamp, bedside table, and small television.

"I should've asked about the bed when I paid; I can sleep on the floor," James said apologetically as Elle moved forward and sat on the edge.

She barely heard him as she stared at the cream-colored walls decorated with an abstract painting and a list of emergency numbers. Suddenly, tears were streaming down her face and she let out a strangled sob. James was instantly kneeling before her, right hand coming to cup her face.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" he said, his voice the softest she'd ever heard it.

Feeling stupid, Elle shook her head, trying to calm herself down. She hiccupped and let out another sob as James grew increasingly concerned.

"C'mon, Elle, talk to me," he murmured, wiping away the tears that trailed down her cheeks.

"It's the walls," she said, finally speaking as her sobs subsided. "Th-They're not cinderblock. And there's  _color_  in the room."

James let out a small chuckle and Elle smiled lightly. "I know it's stupid, it's just that- I thought I was never gonna see anything other than gray cinderblock for the rest of my life. And now, I'm  _out_. Oh God, what am I saying? You have to be happier about this than I am. I'm so sorry, I'm such a complete blubbering mess."

He shook his head at her. "S'not stupid. You have just as much of a right to being happy. Even more so, actually. I'm just so sorry that you had to go through all of this. You didn't deserve it, any of it."

His thumb caressed her cheek as he spoke. Elle's tongue darted out to wet her chapped lips, causing his gaze to drop. His eyes lingered on her mouth for a moment before returning to her eyes. The mossy green color seemed to look straight through him and they just stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Before either of the two knew what was happening, their lips were colliding.

Elle' arms seemed to move of their own accord, her fingers threading through James's tangled hair and her other hand curling on his chest, her wound not allowing it to move up any further. She felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her off the edge of the bed and into his arms as the other came to cup her face.

The kiss was sloppy and a little awkward, like the first one between teenagers who were nervous and kept turning the wrong way or bumping noses, but it eventually melted into something deeper, where the emotions they had hidden away were suddenly set free and poured out.

The two finally broke away, panting slightly. Elle's cheeks were tinged pink and she bit her lip nervously,

"I'm sorry, I should've asked – I don't even know if you  _wanted_ to kiss me. God, that was stupid, right? I'm so sor- "

James leaned in and pressed his lips to hers once more, causing her talking to cease.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he said once they parted again, his voice slightly raspier than usual. He cleared his throat and they returned to looking at each other.

"D'you want the first shower?"

* * *

Elle stepped into the stream of hot water, relaxing as she let her body get accustomed to the temperature. A small thrill went through her at the idea of being able to take as long of a shower as she wanted, not one with a twenty-minute time limit (though the water shut off much faster than twenty minutes). She took her time in rubbing the body wash over her and massaging the shampoo into her scalp. Her hands paused as she washed her face, her fingers running over her lips.

Had the kiss really happened? Or was she starting to hallucinate from the stress of the day's events? She turned the water off and pulled the towel from the rack, wrapping it around her before stepping out of the shower. The bag they had taken from the base contained several days' worth of clothing, which she searched through to dig out a pair of sweatpants (which she had to roll several times to fit her short legs) and a rather baggy t-shirt. Elle dressed quickly before rubbing her hair with the towel, stepping out of the bathroom and into the small motel room. James sat in the chair by the bed, though he had turned it to face the door, as if he expected HYDRA agents to burst through at any minute.

Elle cleared her throat and his head snapped back to look at her. "Shower's open," she said softly before stepping towards the bed to sit on it. He nodded curtly before standing and walking towards the open door. She absentmindedly played with the dripping ends of her hair as the sound of running water drifted through the room.

Her eyes threatened to slip closed but she jerked herself awake until James returned from his shower. He opened the small closet and started pulling out blankets and the spare pillow, causing Elle to furrow her brow.

"What're you doing?" she asked, making him turn towards her.

He gestured at the floor. "You take the bed. I've slept in worse conditions than a carpeted floor."

Elle's next words were tumbling out of her mouth before she could realize what she was saying. "You could sleep up here with me."

They both froze and Elle felt her face grow warm.

"I mean only if you want to- "

"I don't mind the floor- "

Their words came jumbled and all at once. Elle swallowed and continued speaking.

" Tonight, after everything. I- I need someone. I need you. Please."

The small word she had tacked on to the end of her statement seemed to make James give in. He put the bedding back and hesitantly got in on the side opposite to where Elle was sitting. She watched him check the gun that she didn't know he still had and push the safety button on before slipping it underneath his pillow. Opening the bedside table's drawer, he pulled a knife and slowly handed it to Elle. She looked at him, confused, prompting him to explain.

"I would feel much better knowing that you have something to defend yourself with, just in case." James said, searching her face with his cutting blue eyes, making Elle's breath catch in her throat.

For the third time that night, James's lips captured hers. This kiss was much softer, as though he was telling her that he would protect her, that he would keep her safe. Elle pulled away from it trying not to grin like a schoolgirl. He brushed a stray curl behind her ear and she leaned into his touch.

Maybe being on the run wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Elle woke with a start at loud banging on their door. James was already awake, pushing her behind him and pointing the gun from underneath his pillow at the door. She felt under her pillow with trembling fingers for the knife he had given her the night before. Her hand closed around the hilt as the second round of banging sounded.

"Housekeeping!" came a shrill voice, causing James's shoulders to sag in relief and Elle to release the breath that had caught in her throat.

He stood and opened the door, murmuring something to the petite, older woman outside their door. She smiled at him in an understanding way and pushed her cart down to the next room. Elle placed a still-shaking hand over her heart and sighed. James leaned against the door, though not entirely relaxed. A glance at the clock on the wall told her it was ten o' clock in the morning, later than she had slept in a long time. Her stomach chose that moment to emit a very noisy, very embarrassing growl. James raised his eyebrows in amusement and she smiled sheepishly at him.

"Breakfast?"

* * *

The desk attendant had recommended a coffee shop not five minutes from the motel, which Elle and James were currently seated in, a rather large paper cup of coffee (courtesy of the HYDRA guards' wallets) in hand. Elle closed her eyes as she took a sip of the rich drink, savoring the taste of something that wasn't brewed in a mess hall. James watched her, the corners of his mouth quirking up at her reaction. She gave him a soft smile.

"Alright mister, you try it. If you don't react the same way, you never really liked coffee."

He obligingly took a long draw from the cup in front of him. Though his reaction was not quite the same as Elle's, it was obvious he was enjoying the drink as much as she was.

"So, what's our plan?" she said casually, trying to make it seem like they were talking about a vacation itinerary to the other people seated around them.

James shrugged. "We need money and food," he said, wincing suddenly. Elle frowned in confusion and followed his line of sight, seeing a vintage World War Two poster on the wall. She turned back to him, immediately wondering if there was a possibility that he had recalled something. He sighed and leaned forward.

"Ever since that man said something to me yesterday, I've been… seeing things. I can't explain them, but it feels like- like  _memories_."

Elle leaned forward as well, her eyes searching his. "What did he say?"

"He called me Bucky," James said, half-shrugging. "When he said that, something clicked, like I knew him once, a long time ago."

Elle sat back. She debated how much she should tell him at the time, seeing as his psyche was probably fragile at best with the conditions he was under. Glancing back at the poster again, she was hit with an idea.

"Feeling up to a drive?"


End file.
